


Reconciliation

by quietpastelcolours



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Dominant Ganondorf, Estranged Marriage, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Furniture Breaking, Reunion, Seperation, separated spouses boinking and deciding they should maybe get back together, something that was supposed to be short but ended up long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:46:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietpastelcolours/pseuds/quietpastelcolours
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Working together against the newfound threat of the Demon King Malladus, Ganondorf and Zelda find themselves both retreating to the same inn after a battle. Having ended their marriage five years before, they are both wary of each others presence, but they find that old passions soon ignite.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Contains an explicit NSFW scene.

Ganondorf sipped his drink slowly, pretending to listen to his second as she went through the details of their plans, but in reality his attention was taken up by the stately Hylian woman who had her back to him as she conferred with her own advisors.

His gaze traced the lithe lines of her body – she was slight, but not weak, for he could see the outlines of her muscular form through the silk coat she wore. She was wearing trousers, he noted, which had been a rare sight outside training when he’d… known her better. Her hair was longer than it had been, which considering that it’d once been waist length, was really saying something. Her hair was as smooth and immaculate as ever, not a single golden strand out of place. Her back was to him, but he could just see the golden points of her diadem over the top of her head.

Ganondorf frowned into his whiskey as his wife pointedly ignored him.

He’d not known that Zelda would be at this inn, of all places, but his pride would not let him slink off with his tail between his legs – he’d marched determinedly in and booked a room. With the growing darkness to the west threatening both their kingdoms, he’d known they were both sending their armies out to face it – but he hadn’t expected that she would come in person. Ganondorf scowled slightly – he’d underestimated her. _Again_.

Malladus was a right pain in the arse – not only had his darkness usurped the entirety of the kingdom of Holodrum, a good-sized chunk of _his_ desert, and two provinces of Hyrule, the demon had the temerity to brand himself the _Demon King_. Ganondorf scoffed. As if this pretentious upstart could just up and take _his_ title. Who did he think he was?

 _♩ ♬ Raise up your glasses and down the wine goes _ _ ♬ _ _ ♩ _

He rolled his eyes at the bawdy song the now quite drunk Hylians had broken into, despite their Queen’s vain attempts to call their attention back to their war plans.

 _♩ ♬ We’ll shove all our cares up the Demon King’s nose _ _ ♬ _ _ ♩ _

He gritted his teeth at that – the Hylians had taken to singing this, but it was not in reference to him – they meant _Malladus_ , and indignation boiled in his blood. The demon had to be stopped soon – his reputation was at stake.

Malladus’s forces had been halted along the border of Lanayru, for Eldin and Ordon had already been claimed by the darkness, and Ganondorf had ordered his armies to the aid of Hyrule, partly because of the truce, and partly because deep down, there was a small part of him that didn’t want Zelda to despise him if he only helped himself. The most recent battle had lasted two days and had culminated in a last push which had driven back the demons Malladus had called forth, and the border was now firmly in control, which meant that Ganondorf and the other leaders of the various factions were able to pull back slightly. Though well used to sleeping on the ground in various campaigns, he knew the odds were high he’d not be able to sleep in a real bed for some time to come, and so Ganondorf had made the decision to retire, along with his three most high ranking commanders, including Nabooru, who was glaring at him as he ignored her in favour of watching Zelda.

“You should listen, you know.” She snapped. “Malladus could potentially get through _here_ -” She stabbed her finger down on the map spread on the table between them. “Hyrule’s lines took a real beating between these two posts. I think we ought to fill the gap with our forces – Hyrule could benefit from having our archers.”

He rubbed at his beard thoughtfully. “I see your point. I’d tell you to go speak with the commander if he hadn’t passed out an hour ago.”

A wry smile crossed Nabooru’s lips then. “I admit I find it hilarious that the Hero of Hyrule can’t hold his drink.”

They both snickered at that, their glances sliding towards the corner closest to the main door, where Link, the highest ranking military official in the Hylian army and the hero to boot, was snoring to himself from beneath a pile of coats, a half empty bottle still clutched in limp fingers.

Zelda stood up then, and Ganondorf’s gaze instantly slid towards her as she bid her officer’s goodnight and started towards the rickety stairs that led towards the bedchambers. He straightened in anticipation of meeting her gaze as her body turned towards his corner slightly, but then she very obviously yanked herself back around, her gaze staring straight ahead as she mounted the stairs and moved out of sight. He sighed slightly as he sagged back into his chair, taking another sip of his whiskey, conscious of Nabooru’s eyes on him.

“You could talk to her.” His second-in-command suggested.

“She won’t speak to me.” He said heavily. “You know how she feels.”

“You’re the idiot who left her.” Nabooru’s tone wasn’t sympathetic, but nor was it unkind – she merely stated the truth.

“I know.” Ganondorf said darkly, downing the rest of his drink. “Where did that bloody innkeeper go – I want another whiskey.”

Zelda hummed to herself slightly as she brushed out her long hair – her diadem was securely nestled in the crushed velvet lining of its leather case, the wraps and gold caps that normally encased her sidelocks lying neatly on the plain and simply fashioned dressing table in her room. The poor innkeeper’s – a husband and wife who were bewildered by the presence of not only their Queen but also a King in their humble inn – had looked ashamed when they had told her this was their best room. She had taken in the plain walls, the simple bed, the scarred and pitted table, the dressing table with the stained and dark mirror, and smiled, taking extra care to assure them that after weeks of sleeping in a tent, their arrangements were finer than any castle. They had left her smiling and with the jingling of fresh rupees in their pockets, and Zelda was left to the pleasures of a real bed and fresh food; but then the Demon King had entered, taking them all by surprise.

Her mouth turned down at the mere thought of Ganondorf being under the same roof as she was – he was ruining her good mood just by existing in her general vicinity. But no matter. She’d ignored him all through dinner, and she could ignore him tomorrow as well. Hair neatly brushed, her body finally clean (with hot water, too!) and dressed in a freshly laundered nightgown, Zelda was in heaven. She sank down on her bed, too pleased at the prospect of sleeping on a real mattress to notice the lumps and the groans of the springs, and pulled her plans towards her; Malladus approached unrelentingly, and they needed to find a solution soon. Happily, there were still some hours before her candle would burn too low to see with – she could spend the time thinking and making plans to bring before the leaders of her military in the morning.

Zelda lost herself in maps of the surrounding territories, examining topographies and measuring the numbers of her troops and Ganondorf’s against Malladus’s – displeased as she was with the Gerudo King, she couldn’t deny his troops weren’t a tremendous help in holding the line. As such, she found herself lost in thought for several hours as she made her plans, and forgot even to look at the now sputtering candle, though she could hear loud and raucous singing as her men got steadily drunker, celebrating the day’s victory after a long and hard battle. She disapproved of their drinking – Malladus would surely hit hard after pulling back to recover from his losses, and she needed them all in tip top shape, but then again, Zelda herself had not been fighting – she didn’t know what it was like out there. It would be unthinkable if the Queen was lost on the battlefield, with the heir too young to rule and no close enough relatives to be regent. _Aside from the King._ Zelda put that thought out of her mind. He’d forfeited that right years ago – she wouldn’t allow him that satisfaction now.

Very abruptly, the drunken singing died off, and just as the thought was entering her head to wonder why, her door slammed open, crashing into the wall and making her jump. Before Zelda could even lift her head to properly see just who had barged into her room uninvited, she found herself being slung into someone’s arms. _A very large someone._

Zelda gritted her teeth.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She snapped, fighting and twisting to get down. “Put me down _at once!”_

“Don’t be stupid, Zelda.” Hissed Ganondorf, his voice burning with anger as he strode from her room and down the corridor, passing a stupefied looking group of drunken Hylian soldiers, and then they were in his room and she gasped, all the breath knocked out of her as he dumped her on his bed.

Zelda threw her hair out of her face and jumped off the bed, burning with indignation.

“How _dare_ you – just what do you think you’re-” She got out, grinding her teeth in fury, but Ganondorf spoke over her.

“They were going to rape you.”

That doused her anger like a cold splash of water _. “Wh-what?”_

Ganondorf’s actions were ruthlessly controlled, she noticed, and saw the fury burning in his eyes – she wondered what exactly _that_ meant.

“They’re all drunk, the bloody fools, and they’ve spent the last hour talking themselves into having some _fun_ with their Queen.” His tone was jeering, but there was white-hot fury underneath.

Zelda pulled her robe tighter around her body as she looked down. “You’re serious?” She asked quietly, and he nodded, yanking a hand through his fiery hair.

“Unfortunately. I dismissed it as drunken rabble at first, but they were at your door just then, and I realised they meant it.”

“Well, I-” She pulled herself together. “Thank you. I’m very much obliged– I don’t suppose you recognised any of them? They will be reprimanded, and severely.”

Ganondorf listed off a few names as he made towards the decanter of brandy on the table. “Brandy?” He inquired without turning around, and Zelda furrowed her brow but moved towards him.

“Please.” She said, sinking down into the chair opposite his as he passed her a chipped glass and eased himself into his chair with an ominous creak. Ganondorf made a face at that.

“I’m going to be out a few rupees in repairs by the sound of that.” He said, and her mouth twitched into a slight grin without her permission.

“Indeed.” She said quietly, sipping at her drink and welcoming the burn of the alcohol. “How are you?” The words were born of etiquette, and escaped without consent.

Ganondorf grinned slightly behind his glass, and he took a sip before replying. “I’m looking forwards to sleeping in a real bed, though odds are I’m going to break it.”

She did smile at that. “Me too. I’ve been dying these last few weeks – castle beds have made me soft.”

He blinked then, his expression odd as he took another sip of his drink, and Zelda could have sworn she heard him mutter, “exceedingly.”

She didn’t understand it, however, so she ignored it, and aimed for small talk. “I am grateful for the aid of your armies, Ganondorf. We’d not be holding the line quite so well without the skills of your warriors.”

He grinned then, lazily swirling his drink. “Finally, our worth is admitted.”

“Your worth was always admitted.” She said quietly, then realised what she’d said and looked down into her drink, before swiftly changing the subject. “I must ask why you decided to intervene just now – surely you of all people wouldn’t think me incapable of handling a few drunken idiots.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up slightly then, and she let herself devour his features properly, taking in his dark good looks, the fiery hair and attitude she’d once loved.

“Not at all, Princess.” Ganondorf said, slipping back into his annoying habit of calling her by an incorrect title. “But you might have been asleep – they could have hurt you before you woke.”

That was true. “Well, I thank you for your consideration.” She said softly.

“But…” He said, looking down into his glass. “I suppose you could also call it – a most convenient excuse.”

Zelda’s brows drew together. “An _excuse?”_ Her words were sharp, and he held up a hand.

“You mistake my meaning. I’d not see you injured for anything – but I’ve been wondering all evening how best to approach you. By intervening, as you called it, I’ve rather killed two birds with one stone.”

She set down her drink and leaned back, eyeing him quizzically. “Approach me, hmm? What about?”

Ganondorf’s lips thinned. “Don’t play stupid. You _know_ what about. How is she?”

“She’s well, not that you seem to care.” Zelda snapped, folding her arms. “How long has it been since you’ve seen her? Seven months? Eight?”

His eyes glowed in anger and he slammed a fist onto the table, spilling his drink. “You know that’s not by _choice_.” He snarled. “Malladus has taken up time I’d _gladly_ have spent with her.”

Zelda’s control snapped. _“Gladly?”_ She leaned forwards to snarl right back in his face. “You’d _gladly_ spend time with your daughter, would you? Perhaps you should have thought of that before you abandoned us!”

Cold shutters closed over his golden eyes. “I wouldn’t have left her if it wasn’t for _you.”_

 _Well_. That hurt. Zelda leaned back, fighting to keep cold fury on her face, refusing to let him see how much his words affected her.

“I see.” She said coldly, then thought of her little girl. “As it happens, there have been some developments you ought to be aware of.”

Ganondorf’s brows furrowed. “What?” He asked, leaning forwards.

Zelda sighed and leaned forwards as well, resting her elbows on the table, good manners be damned as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Aurami’s old enough to understand – that she’s different now.”

Suspicion settled over his features. “…Different?”

She sighed again. “She used to play in the gardens quite often, with other children at the castle. I recently had to put a stop to that. She’s five now, you know, and the children… they tease her quite cruelly.”

“Tease her…?”

“She comes to me often now, in tears. She wants to know why she’s the only one in the castle with dark skin and red hair; she tells me she wants to be normal.”

Ganondorf’s features went dark with fury. “How _like_ a Hylian wretch-” He sneered. “To make out that only pale skin is normal, how dare you-”

“You mistake me if you think _I_ said that to her.” Zelda interjected coldly. “If you would just think for a moment, you’d realise its only natural for her to think that. After all, she has no one who looks like she does – she thinks of herself as an oddity.”

“She’s _not_.” The words burst from his lips like he couldn’t hold it in. “Auri’s a _Gerudo_ , and a fine one at that-”

“And how would she know that, when you’re never around to see her?” She interjected as sweetly as possible.

Ganondorf glared at her then, but he didn’t say anything. How could he?

“Aurami doesn’t ask where you are or if you’re coming home anymore.” Zelda continued ruthlessly – after how much he’d hurt her, she wanted to hurt him in return. “She’s starting to forget you. How can she not? You left when she was barely a year old, and she’s five now.”

Zelda smiled inside when she saw genuine hurt in his eyes. “She doesn’t ask after me anymore?” Ganondorf repeated faintly, and she relished his pain.

“No. And she won’t speak _Ehenív_ to me anymore. She tells me she wants to be normal, and no one else in the castle speaks it – hence, it’s not normal.”

“And why bring this up?” He began, then changed tack. “You’re just rubbing it in my face.”

“I’m not.” She said softly, tracing the rim of her glass. “I’ve been considering… writing to you. I believe Auri would benefit from spending some time with you. In the desert, I mean. She needs to be among people who look like her so she can realise her heritage is not inherently bad.”

There was a long pause.

“I can’t pretend I wouldn’t like that immensely.” Ganondorf began. “But I do recall you swearing to me that I would never take her from you – that I forfeited her.”

“You _did_ forfeit her, and I do still feel like that.” Zelda said, shooting him a hard glance. “But she is unhappy, and it hurts me to see her like that.”

“So why haven’t you written?”

“Malladus.” She said simply. “He first attacked around the time when I was drafting my letter – after that, I’m afraid it became of a slightly lessor priority, particularly when I heard he’d moved into the desert. I’d rather have her miserable than unsafe.”

Ganondorf nodded slowly. “As much as I’d rather you’d have written, I agree. She’s safer in the castle.” He looked rather awkward then. “Do you – has Auri changed much since I last saw her?”

Zelda smiled softly as she pictured her baby. “Her hair is longer. She’s taller – she’s grown an inch since the winter solstice. She’s forsaken her favourite teddybear story in favour of a fairy-tale. She’s stopped crying herself to sleep over you.”

Ganondorf visibly flinched and looked away at that last bit, and Zelda silently cheered at her victory.

“I know you’re trying to make me feel badly-” He started, and she shot to her feet.

“You _should_ feel badly!” She almost shouted, and then she lowered her voice to a hiss. “ _You_ left us, _you_ make her cry every time you leave, you left us both open to _every kind_ of ridicule-”

Ganondorf stood up then, the look in his eyes dangerous. “Do you think yourself blameless?” He asked darkly.

“No.” She said softly. “But I wish you’d – _we’d_ – behaved differently. If we’d spoken in a rational manner-”

He laughed then. “Rational? _Us?_ Do you not recall a single moment of our marriage?”

She felt an angry flush reach her cheeks. “Of course I do.” She snapped. “You never could keep your bloody mouth shut-”

“I? Try _you_ , little miss know-it-all, always interrupting, always with a better suggestion – you could never leave anything alone. You drove me _mad_.”

“How could I not?” Zelda retorted, folding her arms and walking away from the table. “You, with your impetuous, _impulsive_ ways… you’d have driven Hyrule to ruin within a week had I let you have your head!”

Ganondorf scoffed loudly. “You could have done with some spontaneity! You, always so _cold_ , so stagnant – is it any wonder you drove me away?”

“You accuse me of being emotionless?” Zelda laughed bitterly. “How _original_.”

“On the contrary.” He said. There was a peculiar lilt to his tone, and she ached to turn around and see his face, but she resisted. “I know better than anyone how very passionate you are.”

A flash of heat burned through her as his words brought back the memory of his touch.

“Passionate?” She asked, quite at a loss of what to say.

“Yes, _passionate_.” His voice was very close to her now, and Zelda gasped when large hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around, and she couldn’t help but place her hands on his chest. “Always so _cold_ … until I had you naked.”

Zelda bit her lip, her cheeks furiously red as she tried and failed to come up with something to say. Ganondorf knew he had the upper hand too, judging by that smirk.

“I suppose you’ve had many lovers? We _have_ been parted these last five years.”

Zelda blinked – that was _not_ what she’d expected. But then – was that jealousy she detected in his eyes?

“Yes.” She said, lifting her chin. She was lying – it would be improper for her to sleep with a man out of wedlock – but Ganondorf didn’t have to know that. “I wouldn’t say many, but some.”

His eyes flashed. “And so you’ve moved on…” He murmured, almost to himself, and she narrowed her eyes.

“Can you blame me? I can’t believe _you’d_ have been celibate, and I-”

“I suppose that’s true.” Ganondorf said heavily. “I would be a hypocrite to deny it.”

Ganondorf stared down at the woman before him – he’d expected her to complain, to push him away, but she hadn’t. Zelda’s small hands rested on his chest like they had so many times during their marriage, and she was looking up at him with the most curious expression in her eyes. The thought of her with another man burned through him – it killed him inside to think of it. She was very fond of the word _forfeited_ – he’d forfeited her when he left their marriage, and therefore he had no real right to complain that she took another man to her bed. But still, the mere thought of another man with his hands on her skin was enough to drive him mad. She drove him insane anyway, with her annoying, nit-picking ways and acerbic façade, but he really didn’t want to think of Zelda’s lovers.

“You are not at all acting the way I’d expected.” Zelda said almost wonderingly, and Ganondorf, his mind still full of her lovers, responded accordingly.

“I know I’ve no right to it.” He said darkly. “But I _hate_ the thought of you with another man.”

Her eyes widened then, those enticing, full pink lips parted softly. He stared at them, suddenly aching for her touch. She was so close… they’d not been this close even for months before he left.

“Well, I took lovers.” She said, her tone oddly defiant, though her fingers tightened their grip in his shirt. “And I enjoyed-”

He covered her mouth with his hand. “ _Don’t_.” He growled. “It’s hard enough without that mental picture.”

He could feel her smiling against his palm. “You have no right to feel so.” She began. “You f-”

“If you say forfeited _one more time_ -” He threatened. “-I will throw you out that window.”

Zelda was grinning broadly now. “You’re acting just as jealous as you did when the Calatian Prince tried to kiss me-”

 _“Zelda.”_ He bit out.

“-but you _did_ forfeit any right to such feelings five years ago-”

“You maddening, infuriating, tempting, _beautiful_ woman.” He growled, and then he lost his head altogether and kissed her. She gasped against his mouth, and then – blessedly – she kissed him back, her hands snaking up around his neck, twining into his hair. Zelda’s lips were just as soft as he remembered as she pressed her body against his, and Ganondorf wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. Zelda’s lips parted, and he found her tongue with his even as he pulled her closer.

When they finally broke apart, Zelda’s eyes were closed, her lips so temptingly swollen, her delicate skin reddened from his beard, and Ganondorf let himself trace her features for the first time in five years.

“I regretted it, you know.” He murmured against the shell of her pointed ear. “You say I forfeited you and Aurami… I never regretted anything more.”  
Zelda gasped, her fists clenching in the fabric of his shirt. _“What?”_ Her voice was suddenly shaky.

“But you know me.” He continued, annoyed at himself all over again. “My pride wouldn’t let me come back to you, even when I’d realised just how stupid I’d been. That, and I wasn’t entirely sure you’d take me back.”

She laughed then. “I wouldn’t have taken you back for anything. It would have been entirely out of stubborn principle – I’d have refused you and cried my eyes out that night.”

“You never cry.” He murmured, surprised at her choice of words.

Zelda was quiet for a moment. “I did when you left me.”

“I missed you.” He admitted, and she tightened her grip on him. “Though you drove me up the bloody wall, I did love you.”

“I felt the same.” She whispered. “I never wanted to see you again – until you left.”

“I kept tabs on you.” He said, letting himself stroke her golden hair. “I know how the courts treated you…”

Zelda managed a bitter laugh. “Yes, they _revelled_ in your leaving – that was their proof, see? I stood up before the whole kingdom during our engagement and swore that you would be a good, just king – that the terror would end. They denounced it, as I’m sure you remember, and then what do you know? We proved them right. Our marriage fell apart, and now Malladus spreads terror across the lands.” She sighed. “I did so want to prove them all wrong – so much that I burned with it. I wanted to prove I could take a Gerudo husband and the kingdom wouldn’t fall to ruin.” She frowned up at him then. “I’m still rather annoyed at you for inadvertently confirming all their prejudices against you.”

“I am too, funnily enough.” Ganondorf muttered. “But you know I never cared what they thought. You worry about your reputation too much.”

Zelda gave him an unimpressed look. “Am I to take it then, that you don’t care Malladus had declared himself the _Demon King?”_

“Well – that’s different.” He said lamely.

“Is it indeed?”

“It is and you know it.” Ganondorf scooped her up in his arms then, and carried her over to the bed. Zelda was watching him warily, and as he set her down he knew exactly what was on her mind. However much as he wanted the same thing, he knew they needed to talk first. He sat down and thought about what he was going to say for a moment. “Zelda, as much as I hate to admit things, your words this evening have shamed me. I want to be there for my daughter, and I haven’t made half the effort I ought to. I want to find those wretched children who dare say she’s not normal and threaten them half to death.”

A small smile turned her lips. “They’re children, you know, and children remark on things they find different – you’ll never stop them from doing that. Aurami would receive far greater benefit from seeing her father take pride in the colour of his skin.”

“Then I will… if you will let me.”

“I will never stop you from seeing your own child.” Zelda said quietly. “You needn’t fear that.”

He rolled onto his side, reaching up to brush his fingers over her cheek. “Thank you.”

Bright curiosity lit her eyes then, and to his surprise, Zelda wiggled closer. “But why are you _touching_ me?” She asked. “Why did you _kiss_ me? I thought you hatred me.”

“I’ve never hated you, stupid woman.” He said roughly, then paused. “Well, yes, but not in this life.” He paused again. “Okay, not since we actively began to spend time together.”

“Then… do you still love me…?” Hesitant wonder filled her tone, and Ganondorf watched her for a long moment.

“I do.” He said, and grinned at the smile spreading across her face. “I’ve never hated anyone like I hated you… but that was only when we argued. I loved you the rest of the time.”

Zelda grinned, her fingers brushing through his beard. “We did have some tremendous arguments, didn’t we? I admit, I felt the same way. When we fought, I could have happily knocked your block off, but I loved you dreadfully. It cut me to ribbons to see our marriage failing.”

“We made quite the mess of things.” He observed, and she laughed and nodded.

“We certainly did.” She laced her fingers into his and lay quietly for a moment, clearly remembering. “We used to lie like this. Do you remember? When we’d cooled down after a row and were trying to apologise.”

He grinned. “After things had gotten so heated I’d taken you to bed? I remember.”

Zelda smiled the most evil smile then. “I admit, I loved those arguments. I lived for them.”

Ganondorf lost his smile. “You _liked_ them?”

She looked up, laughter written on her features. “You mistake me, Ganondorf. I hated our worse rows with a passion, but these? The ones were I could see you smiling? They were fun.”

“Fun? _Really?”_

“Really.” She smiled wider. “You know one of the reasons I liked you so much?”

“What?”

“It was that you weren’t afraid to argue with me. No one else will – they’re afraid of offending the Queen. But _you_ – you’d shout me from one end of the castle to the other to prove your point – and I loved it. That, and your wit. There are few intelligent enough to match me in serious conversation, but you can.” She flushed and looked down then. “You know… you said before… about taking me to bed. I often… I mean, I sometimes… well, I soon figured out how to provoke you.”

Ganondorf chuckled then. “I know.”

Zelda looked startled. “You knew?”

“I did. How could I not? You made it very obvious when in other arguments you’d sooner go to bed with a moldorm then let me touch you. He leaned closer then, like he was letting her in on a secret. “You say you provoked me? Well, I could provoke you too.”

“That’s true.” She sighed. “You made me want to throttle you.”

“The perfect description.” He grinned at her. “There were times, after a fight, where I’d question if I should have married you at all.”

Shutters closed over her eyes then. “And one day, you answered that you oughtn’t?” Zelda asked softly. “Is that when you decided to leave?”

“Not quite.” He touched a finger to the lace of her gown. “There were many factors in my decision.”

Zelda pursed her lips. Ganondorf had fallen silent as he fiddled with the decorative lace adorning her nightgown, and she welcomed the moment of silence to think things over.

However, the moment didn’t last long.

“It’s just like you.” He snorted. “To wear silk and lace to a battlefield.”

Zelda frowned at him. “Someone’s got to have standards around here.” she retorted. “I’ve seen how you _men_ exist – your clothes are so filthy they'd stand up on their own.”

He grinned at that. “I suppose we _are_ at an inn. I could only mock you should you wear this in your tent.”

Zelda scowled, and then in that moment she found the perfect way to hurt him further. “I do, as a matter of fact.”

A grin began to unfurl over his features. “I knew it – little miss materialistic-”

“It’s a token of remembrance.” She continued, and Ganondorf narrowed his eyes as the meaning sunk in.

“A _token?”_ His voice was sharp. “A nightgown is too intimate a gift to be given by _anyone_.”

“You’re correct.” Zelda said as casually as she could – this talk of casual lovers was most peculiar, but she was in too deep to back away now. “It was a gift – from my current lover.”

Ganondorf snatched his hand away from the lace like he’d been burned. “You wear this in my presence?” He snarled. “Just to rub it in my face-”

“I didn’t plan on seeing you tonight, you know.” She spat back. “I wore it for myself.”

His eyes went dark as his gaze roamed over her form. “Does he make you wear it?”

“Ganondorf, I-”

“Does he?”

There was something very dangerous in his eyes now. Zelda felt a thrill of excitement at it – he’d always been a possessive, jealous man, so now she could see just how far she could push him.

“He doesn’t _make_ me do anything.” She snapped. “I’m a Queen and he is a mere earl – he gives me no orders. But…” She continued delicately. “He _is_ fond of seeing me in this gown.” Zelda smiled slightly, thinking up new ways to torture her husband. “My lover and I often take tea together, and I wear this gown to tempt him. He says the lace is sheer enough to give him the most tantalising view of my breasts whilst concealing the rest of me til later.”

Ganondorf’s gaze instantly dipped to her breasts, his eyes dark with something very close to lust, and Zelda began to feel very warm.

“He has given me several gowns.” She whispered, success goading her further. “But this one is both our favourites – he likes to have me wear it even when we are-”

Ganondorf cut off her words with a gasp as he yanked her towards him, rising up on his elbow so he loomed over her.

“You teasing bitch.” He snarled, and then he kissed her. Zelda would have objected to what he’d just called her, but her mouth was very suddenly occupied as he took complete control of the kiss, taking her lips so roughly she was sure she’d be bruised. Zelda considered pulling away, but then, as Ganondorf settled himself between her legs and she felt his impressive cock against the junction of her thighs, she decided against it. After five years of a cold bed, she wanted his touch to burn across her skin – even if he was only doing it to prove some point against her imaginary lover, she still wanted it.

While his mouth was busy, his hands were certainly not idle, and Zelda moaned into his mouth when he cupped her breasts, kneading them and teasing her nipples through the lace, and then, to her shock, he gripped her neckline and tore it down to her waist, shredding the fine fabric as easily as paper. She pulled her lips from his to object, but it was too late – her gown was already in pieces, and Ganondorf tossed it to the floor, his eyes glowing as his gaze roamed over her naked form.

“My gown!” She gasped, and satisfaction lit his features.

“You’ll wear it for him no longer.” He bit out, and laid his hands at the tops of her thighs, over the top of her stockings, tied neatly mid-thigh with silken ribbons. “I always liked your stockings.” He muttered, then grinned at her. “And do you still taste as sweet?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Zelda replied tartly to cover up her wanting – he was spreading her legs wider, baring her to his gaze, and she knew what was coming next – she burned with want of it.

“But your lover does.” He said darkly, and she automatically shook her head, then cursed herself as she tried to come up with a reason.

“He – he does not approve of placing ones mouth on another’s intimate places.” She said softly. “So he doesn’t know.”

Ganondorf looked pleased then, his fingers creeping ever closer to her centre. Zelda closed her eyes as she pulsed deep inside her core – she’d been burning with a quiet arousal for some time now, and she was so long without the touch of a man she was sure she’d explode from the anticipation.

“And does it go both ways?” He inquired. “He feels the same from your end?”

“He does.” She answered, nodding slightly as she dug her fingers into the bed for an anchor – he was _so close_ to where she wanted him –

“So he’s never had your pretty mouth wrapped around his cock?” Ganondorf sounded _very_ pleased then. “Good.”

“Ganondorf – _please_ -” She gasped out, then stuffed her fingers in her mouth to shut herself up as he chuckled. She most certainly hadn’t meant to beg, but he was _so close_ – why wouldn’t he touch her?

At that moment, Zelda threw her head back and moaned, her back arching as he _finally_ delved between her thighs, that talented tongue licking her firmly and making her cry out. Need burned through her the longer he stayed down there, his fingers gripping her thighs and spreading them wide. Zelda whimpered, fingers digging into the bedding as her blood began to boil in her veins, and then she grabbed hold of his hair, tugging him down and trying to hold him against her as her hips bucked against his face.

She both felt and heard his chuckle, the vibrations washing over her and making her moan, and then she threw her head back and cried out when Ganondorf slid two fingers inside her. Far from having any lovers, her only comfort these last five years had been her own fingers, and well. While pleasurable enough, they didn’t compare to _this_.

His fingers found that spot deep inside and rubbed her firmly, making tight coils of arousal curl low in her belly, and Zelda tightened her grip in his hair as he licked her clit harder – she was close now, she could feel it.

“ _Oh_ – don’t stop!” She cried. “Please – _please_ -”

Zelda very dimly heard him chuckle as he worked her harder, her skin tightening like she was about to burst – she was about to, electricity crackling under her skin as she threw her head back and exploded, her mind running white with sensation as pure pleasure rippled over her form. Ganondorf licked her firmly throughout her climax, sending her higher even as she rode the waves – when she finally came down from her high, she had to pull him away from her as the sensations came to be too much to bear.

Ganondorf crawled up her body then, and Zelda pulled his shoulders down to her so she could kiss him – she could taste herself on his lips, and it only excited her further.

“He’s never made you come like that?”

Zelda blinked against the haze of pleasure still burning through her form and registered his words. Ganondorf was proving to be very jealous of her imaginary lover, his hands gripping her body possessively. She stretched luxuriously and hid her smile behind her hand.

“Never.” She said, and smiled as smug satisfaction curled off her husband like smoke. “But he made up for it in – _other_ ways.”

Ganondorf’s eyes narrowed. “Like _what?”_ He growled, tugging her closer, and Zelda barely stopped her giggle – was he proposing to try and prove he could bed her better than her imaginary lover could? Well, she wouldn’t stop him if he wanted to try.

“ _Well_.” She began coquettishly. “He has wonderful stamina – he is able to go for the most marvellously long time – far longer than some of the _other_ men who’ve graced my bed.”

Ganondorf’s eyes glinted with the challenge. “And you think of me poorly in that department?”

She shrugged her bare shoulder as elegantly as she could. “It’s been five years, you know. My memory doesn’t last _that_ long.” In truth, she treasured every memory of his touch.

He glared and leaned down to kiss her once more, his tongue invading her mouth and finding hers as Zelda sighed against him and wound her arms about his neck.

“You’re rather overdressed, you know.” She whispered against his lips. “I fail to see how you will ever measure up to my lover if you never undress yourself.”

Ganondorf growled against her mouth, sitting up so he could roughly tear his shirt from his body, and he was hurriedly unlacing his trousers when she sat up, tracing her hand across his chest with interest. His body was even better than it had been, somehow – youth had given way to firm strength, and his shoulders were broader, the musculature of his chest even more delicious than ever.

“What are these?” She asked curiously, brushing her fingers over one pierced nipple. “These are new.”

“Not quite.” He replied, laughter in his tone. “They’re… three years old, I think.”

“I like them.” Zelda murmured, leaning forwards to nudge the piercing with her tongue, relishing his intake of breath. “They suit you down to the ground.” She pulled back to consider, then smiled wickedly at him. “My lover has no piercings – consider _this_ a point in your favour.”

Ganondorf preened as he hurled his boots from the bed; now naked, Zelda let herself drink in the sight of his muscular body in the nude – it was a very pleasant and impressive sight. She trailed her hands softly down his chest, tracing the intriguing dips and mounds of his abdominal muscles, then took his hard cock in hand. This too, was just as impressive as she’d remembered – maybe more, now that she saw it in the flesh. Ganondorf grunted and threaded a hand into her hair as she began to stroke him slowly, enjoying the feel of his hardness beneath her fingertips once more.

Pearly white liquid began to bead at the tip and dribbled down onto her fingers; Zelda released his shaft for a moment as she slipped her fingers into her mouth, suckling lightly and enjoying his taste. She shoved her palm against his chest lightly then. “Lie down.” She commanded. “I want to taste you.”

Ganondorf grinned, revealing pointed fangs. “I’d be a fool to say no to that.” He said lightly, lying down on the bed, his manhood jutting proudly towards the ceiling. Zelda settled herself between his legs, one arm bracing herself on his abdomen, the other stroking his cock as she leaned down to swirl her tongue around the tip, relishing the slightly salty and thoroughly male taste of him.

She began to bob her head, taking him deeply into her throat, her free hand stroking his heavy sack the way she remembered he liked it, thoroughly enjoying his very male sounds of pleasure.

Ganondorf tipped his head back, throat tight as Zelda took him further into her mouth – she’d always had a talented mouth, once he’d shown her what to do in the early days of their marriage. He tightened his hand in her hair as she enthusiastically bobbed up and down on his cock, feeling those tingles in his spine that told him release was close.

“Zelda.” He groaned, tugging her hair slightly. “Lets not end things yet.”

She smiled wickedly as she let his cock slip from her mouth, and then she licked him agonisingly slowly from base to tip before she released him.

“No.” She said, smiling slowly as she slipped astride his waist, grinding her ass slowly against his cock. “Let’s not.”

Ganondorf gripped her hips, mouth dry as she rose up above him, holding his cock as she lined herself up and began to slowly lower herself down.

“Gently…” She crooned, eyes drifting shut. “It’s been a while.”

He took that to mean Malladus’s attacks had interrupted her times with her lover – he was glad of that. At that moment, she took him inside her and he couldn’t think of her lover anymore as her hot, tight wetness enveloped his cock.

Zelda sank down on him so impossibly slowly he thought he’d die, pausing every few moments to adjust to his size – Ganondorf felt smug satisfaction there, for there was no way a mere Hylian could outdo him in _that_ department – but finally she’d taken his full length inside her, and his gaze locked onto her lovely breasts when Zelda tipped her head back, letting her hair fall back over her shoulders. He’d missed her breasts, and he hungrily took in the sight of them, full and round and topped with luscious pink nipples.

Gripping her hips, Ganondorf lifted her up slightly, letting her sink slowly back down and relishing her moan. Zelda opened her eyes then, leaning forwards to brace herself on his abdomen as she began to move, riding him with an ever-increasing speed. Ganondorf began to thrust his hips up in time to her movements, lifting her ever higher and making her cry out with each time she took him deeply inside her, the bed beneath them groaning alarmingly. She was so tight and wet around him he couldn’t help but groan at the pressure of her heat around his cock, and he began to pull her down onto him harder and faster, smirking through tight lips as her cries grew louder and higher in pitch.

Feeling quite unable to resist, Ganondorf sat up and leaned down to take her mouth, kissing her roughly as he slammed her up and down on his cock. Zelda wailed loudly into his mouth as she held onto his neck for dear life, and he tipped them both over, driving her deeply into the mattress as he fucked her harder and then – with a creak and a groan and then a loud _bang_ , the bed collapsed beneath them. The front legs gave away first, with the end result that they both pitched forwards, rolling into the headboard and lying there stunned for a second, before the back legs of the bed gave up the fight and collapsed as well, leaving them lying in a mess of shattered timber.

Ganondorf blinked at Zelda, who had her hand over her mouth as she started laughing, and then he chuckled as well, grabbing her waist and tugging her towards him. Zelda giggled into his throat even as her hand snaked down between them to start stroking his cock, making him bite his lip.  
“I should have known that would happen.” He muttered, and she laughed again.

“It’s not the first time.” She agreed, and he chuckled in remembrance.

“Certainly not.” He let his hands drift to her breasts, cupping them gently and kneading the firm flesh until Zelda bit her lip, the heat returning to her eyes. Ganondorf rolled her nipples between the tips of his fingers then, smirking as she made an aroused whimper in the back of her throat, and then he grunted when she tightened her grip on his cock in retaliation. She climbed up on her knees then, and suddenly he knew _exactly_ what he wanted to do.

“Come here.” He murmured, moving to kneel before her as well and pulling her into his embrace – her lips were sweet, and after five years apart he wasn’t going to miss this chance to taste her thoroughly.

“He doesn’t kiss me like you do.” Zelda murmured against his lips, and jealousy sparked through him once more – Ganondorf was _determined_ to prove he was the better lover.

“Oh?” He whispered, cupping her face and kissing her softly. “How does he?”

“He’s… soft.” She replied, eyes fluttering closed as he ground his erection into her belly. “Gentle. Not so forceful.”

 _Ah_. “And you always liked it rough.”

Ganondorf smirked against her mouth as he slowly increased the force with which he kissed her – if she wanted it rough, he was happy to serve.

“I confess I did.” Zelda whispered, and fresh challenge boiled through his veins.

“Then let me oblige you, Princess.” He growled, seizing her waist and flipping her over, positioning her so she was on her hands and knees. Zelda gasped and for a second he thought she’d object, but then she lifted her ass and presented herself to him like an offering. Ganondorf growled and grabbed her hips, holding her in place as he positioned himself and thrust inside, groaning deeply as her warmth gripped him tightly.

Zelda dropped her head and moaned into the now lumpy and misshapen mattress, scrabbling at the sheets as Ganondorf pounded hard against her. With every thrust, he was shoving her forwards, her bracing no match for his immense strength. He had one hand braced against the broken headboard and it was slamming against the wall with each savage thrust, and combined with her loud cries, somewhere in the back of her mind Zelda registered that they were making quite a bit of noise. Still, she wanted more.

Tossing her head back, Zelda looked over her shoulder. “Harder.” She got out from between clenched teeth. “Fuck me harder.”

Ganondorf snarled viciously, his eyes dark with lust, and then he grabbed her hips, pulling her off his cock and flipping her over in one quick movement. Zelda cried out at the loss of him, her core suddenly empty inside, but then he scooped her into his arms, pressing her firmly into the wall as he leaned down to sink his fangs into her neck. She cried out then moaned as he suckled hard against her skin – he was marking her now, and she tilted her head further, digging her fingernails into his shoulders as he growled against her skin.

When he came up again, his eyes glowed with lust and her blood glistened on his lips – Zelda grabbed his beard and tugged him down to her level, kissing him hard. “Please.” She whispered against his mouth, tasting her own blood and liking it – it seemed to add an almost primal sense to their lovemaking.

Ganondorf scored his sharp teeth down her throat, making her gasp even as he rearranged her position, draping her legs over his arms and opening her up wide for him – he thrust inside and she threw her head back, colliding roughly with the wall but she didn’t care as he began to move inside her once more, his thickness filling her, stretching her. Zelda panted hard, breasts heaving as he slammed into her, driving her hard into the wall behind her.

“H-harder.” She gasped out, gritting her teeth against the intense pleasure coursing through her. He was right; she _did_ like it rough. Ganondorf snarled, seemingly beyond words – he got like that when he was particularly aroused, she’d found – he communicated his feelings in noises instead. Zelda raked her nails down his arms, feeling his blood beneath her fingertips, relishing Ganondorf’s face as he growled and shifted her slightly higher, changing the angle of penetration just enough that he hit that _one spot_ deep inside hard enough to make her eyes roll back in her head as another climax, a small one this time, rolled over her; Ganondorf snarled loudly as she clenched around him, and only drove into her harder, prolonging the waves of pleasure. Zelda wailed loudly as she threw her head back; there was something hitting her shoulder with each thrust, or maybe she was hitting it, but she didn’t particularly care until the thing shifted off the wall altogether and smashed to the floor, scattering glass across Ganondorf’s feet – she realised somewhere in the back of her mind that they’d just knocked a painting off the wall.

Ganondorf swore harshly and swung her around, and Zelda tightened her legs around his waist as he moved away from the wall – that was understandable, even if it stopped him fucking her. No one wanted glass in their feet. He made a beeline for the table then, and every step made her moan as he shifted inside her. She watched with interest as Ganondorf swept their brandy glasses to the floor, shattering them as well, and then he laid her down on the table and spread her stockinged legs wide as he began to fuck her hard once more. She moaned loudly, gripping the edge of the table tightly as she tried to use her legs to pull him closer, and Ganondorf grunted harshly as his movements accelerated, his thrusts starting to become uneven, his fingers biting harshly into the flesh and muscle of her thighs. He was close. As if they’d both been thinking the same thing, he snaked a hand down to her clit and began to rub her in firm, unrelenting circles, and Zelda threw her head back, her body stiffening as pleasure began to overtake her.

She was still sensitive from her previous climax, and now, with Ganondorf hitting the exact right angle inside her with every thrust as he rubbed her clit, she was dangerously close. Zelda’s head thrashed from side to side, her stockinged legs clamped hard around his waist as her blood boiled, and then it happened. Her release crept up on her and then exploded all at once, and she writhed against him, back arched and head thrown back as she rode the wave, lightening bunching and gathering under her skin as she screamed. Ganondorf’s thrusts quickened, his movements deep and uneven, and then it proved to be too much for him as she pulsed around his cock; he swore and groaned as he drove himself deeply into her, his body covering hers as he filled her with his seed.

Zelda lay there for a long, glorious moment as his heavy form laid against hers while he groaned and shuddered through his release, his arms holding most of his weight off her as he braced himself on the table.

She smiled softly, heart still racing as he lifted his head enough to grin at her, and Ganondorf was just opening his mouth to say something when the table gave a shuddering groan and collapsed. Zelda shrieked as she hit the floor and Ganondorf followed; he just managed to catch himself before he crushed her, his expression rather shocked as they lay there and stared at each other for a long moment, the shattered remains of the table beneath them.

“…The table too?” She asked plaintively, and his lips twitched up into a grin.

“I did say I’d be paying for plentiful repairs.” He reminded her, and then he stood up and held out a hand to help her to his feet. Zelda let him pull her upright, but when she tried to take a step she immediately crumpled, clinging onto his hand to stop herself from falling.

“I can’t walk properly.” She gasped out, and Ganondorf chuckled in a manner that was much too self-satisfied for her liking as he swung her into his arms, and then they were both quiet for a moment as they surveyed the damage. Zelda’s nightgown was no more than a few scraps of torn lace, to which she’d already resigned herself to, but the rest of the room! The bedframe was completely demolished, the legs and slats snapped, the linens torn and the mattress hanging off the frame, the pillows tossed across the room. Broken glass littered the floor, puddled brandy seeping from beneath the destroyed table, and to top everything off, the frame of the painting hand painted by the innkeeper’s wife herself was smashed and a hole had been rent in the canvas itself.

“Well.” Zelda said, pursing her lips.

Ganondorf nodded slightly. “Well indeed.”

“I suppose we can’t say you haven’t always had something of a knack for destruction.” She said coolly – now that the heat of passion had passed, there was a growing sinking feeling in her stomach. What was going to happen now?

He chuckled lightly, setting her down onto one of the chairs – one of the few undestroyed things in the room, she noted – and he then passed her his shirt, climbing into his own trousers as she watched him cautiously. She shouldn’t have slept with him; that was becoming blindingly obvious. Zelda put on his shirt, clutching the billowing material close to her body as she shifted uncomfortably; she could feel the stickiness of his seed beginning to drip down her thighs and onto her stockings, and she looked around for something to clean herself up with as Ganondorf occupied himself with shifting the broken timber out from underneath the mattress. Zelda stood up and hobbled over towards the small washstand hidden away in the corner; after five years of celibacy and then being confronted with such a sizable manhood as that of the Gerudo King’s, she was going to be sore for the next day or two. She scowled; it would probably be exceedingly obvious to all who saw her, too. Everyone would know she’d had a major slip in judgement.

Ganondorf sat down on the mattress, pulling the linens up and making a face at the hole rent in the top sheet; he hadn’t even noticed it being torn. His gaze drifted back to Zelda, who had her back to him as she cleaned herself up, and then she sighed and turned around, her pretty blue eyes darkened with caution. So she regretted this. Well. He supposed it was good to know.

She walked slowly back to the mattress, and though he felt that similar sense of pride knowing he’d rendered a woman unable to walk straight, there was an exceedingly uncomfortable sensation growing in the pit of his gut; he felt… apprehensive of what she would say.

Zelda sat down neatly, crossing her legs and pulling the sheets up over her stockinged toes before she looked at him with wary eyes.

“So.” She said softly.

“So.” He replied, folding his arms.

Zelda took a deep breath then. “Ganondorf, we must be rational about this. We’re both consenting adults, and-”

“Don’t turn this into one of your lectures, Princess.” He said darkly. “We fucked. End of story.”

“ _Not_ the end of the story.” She said furiously, leaning forwards. “Does this _mean_ anything?”

A heavy silence fell as they watched each other. Ganondorf absentmindedly scratched at his beard, just for something to do. “Well… I’m not sure.” He said finally. “I _was_ under the impression that you hated me, so I suppose that’s changed.”

She nodded slightly. “I thought you hated me too.” She looked up then, taking a deep breath. “So… do we call it a day and go back to our separate people?”

He paused. Did they? It was a tough question. “I think we must.” He said shortly, then hated the way her face fell. She was so transparent at times; why couldn’t she hide her feelings better? It would make it easier to strengthen his resolve. Ganondorf recalled an argument then. “I dare say your _lover_ would object if it were anything otherwise.” He said darkly, then to his surprise, Zelda flushed and looked down.

“Ganondorf…” Goddesses help him, he still revelled in his name on her lips. “There’s something you ought to know.” Zelda took a deep breath, and he stared curiously at her. “I’ve not had any lovers. I’ve been celibate these last five years; my last lover was _you_.”

Zelda bit her lip nervously as Ganondorf stared at her, his face blank, and then he settled on an incredulous kind of suspicion.

“What.” He said flatly. “You expect me to believe that? The _beautiful_ Princess Zelda, never wanting for admirers, you-” He broke off and gestured at the scraps of lace to the side. “Your nightgown! That was a gift from your lover, was it not?”

“It wasn’t.” She said quietly, twisting her hair in her hands. “I bought it myself. Ganondorf… do you not recall that I liked to provoke you?”

Silence fell.

“Do you mean to say…” He said, eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I did not intend for you to take it so far.” Zelda rushed to defend herself. “But you hurt me so terribly, and you’ve always been a jealous man… I wanted to hurt you in return by throwing my lovers in your face… even though I hadn’t had any.”

To her surprise, he chuckled then, folding his arms as he looked away from her. “Well, you got your wish.” His voice was anything but amused. “You _provoked_ me.”

“As I said, I did not think it would go so far.” She said quietly. “I didn’t think you’d wish to remain close to me, let alone kiss me.”

“Heh.” His laugh was short and humourless. “So we essentially destroyed this room for nothing.”

Zelda looked around at the carnage. “I suppose so.” She said softly. “I will give you money; I cannot give the innkeepers the rupees myself.”

“Still worried what people think of you?” His tone was mocking, and she stiffened in anger.

“Of course. You lived in the castle; you know the courts! Stop acting as though _I’m_ the foolish one when you know perfectly well I’d be ripped to shreds should I ever actually take a lover and should it be found out!”

He rolled his eyes, and anger made her continue. “It’s bad enough my men will be able to tell.” She said stiffly, and scowled harder when Ganondorf’s lips turned up in an amused grin.

“How do you figure that?” He asked, and she glared.

“You know very well I’ll be terribly sore in the morning! To be without a man for five years and then endure _your_ size does not make for a comfortable return to intimacy, I regret to inform you.”

His grin only widened. “I do recall you _begging_ me to fuck you harder.”

Zelda flushed red. “Well, I – I might have asked-”

“You begged me, Princess.” Ganondorf sounded very satisfied. “Admit it.”

Anger that he was right flowed through her. “Well, maybe I did.” She snapped, hating his smug grin. “But what is said during the heat of passion is often regretted in the clarity of a rational mind!”

He lost his grin then. “And you return to rationality now?”

“I do.” Zelda said coldly. “And I know that whatever my feelings towards you, we should _not_ have done what we just did.”

The intensity in his golden eyes very rapidly cooled. “And so she regrets.”

“Very much so.” Zelda lifted her chin to disguise the truth; that however much he infuriated her, her body ached for more of his touch.

“Fine. When this day is over we will forget this night ever happened and go our separate ways.” Ganondorf snapped.

“Fine.” Zelda angrily shoved her hair back over her shoulder, but then thoughts of her daughter wormed their way into her mind, and she sighed. “But… what of Aurami?” She asked softly. “Do I return home to her and conceal that I have seen her dear Papa?”

Ganondorf snorted. “You said she forgets me.”

“She does.” Zelda said softly. “But she hasn’t _entirely_ given up on you yet.”

Ganondorf’s gaze flickered towards her then. “I do wish to see her.” He said softly. “Very much indeed. With your permission… when you return to the castle, I would also like to come.”

“Auri will be ecstatic to see you.” She said, drawing the fabric of his shirt a little closer around her shoulders. “And she will be desolate when you leave.”

Ganondorf sighed, and she continued softly. “I-I want you to come home to me. To us.” She said quietly. “More than anything. But I won’t beg. If you say no now, you’ll never hear the subject pass my lips again.”

He looked at her. “You said you regretted it, just now.”

“I lied.” She sighed. “Mentally, you annoy me like no other. But physically? I want you so very badly.”

Ganondorf grinned smugly. “Who wouldn’t?”

Her anger sparked then. “You see? I think sometimes you wonder why you annoy me, but how could you not? You’re so… flippant!”

He rolled his eyes and glared. “Do you know what marriage is about? _Compromise_. You never made one effort to learn _anything_ about me – you only ever tried to make me conform to your standards!”

That stung – but what really hurt… was that he was kind of right. Zelda was forced to examine her own actions then, and she realised… she did expect him to conform. “I-I never thought about it like that before.” She admitted. “I’m sorry. You’re – I think you’re right.”

Confusion lit his eyes. “I honestly did not expect you to own up to that. I thought you’d deny and place the blame back on me.”

“I’m not that unreasonable, am I?” She asked. “I can admit things. Like now… I admit that, now I think about it, that I did rather expect you to become Hylian.”

Relief and satisfaction covered his features. “ _Finally_.” He said with feeling. “You know Zelda, had you treated me as a Gerudo _who is by nature different to you_ , and not like an oddly coloured misbehaving Hylian, we’d probably had gotten along better.”

She hung her head. “I… you’re right. I’m sorry.” Zelda bit her lip. “I ought to made more of an effort. I learnt your language, but that’s it. I ignored you were Gerudo without even realising it.” She lifted her head, eyes bright with involuntary unshed tears. “I’m sorry.”

Ganondorf watched her curiously, and then he reached out and took her hand in his. “Zelda.” He said seriously. “You permit me to return with you… so I can see Auri?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Of course.”

He seemed to be having trouble finding his words. “If you – if both of us resolved to pay attention to each other better than we did, and respected our separate cultures, it might be possible… that we could end up on better terms with each other.”

Zelda smiled up at him. “I would like that.” She said softly. “Might I go a step further, and say that if we manage it… you might stay a little while longer than a mere fortnight? I know Auri would be over the moon with joy.”

“We’ll see.” He said shortly. “But you must make the effort, Zelda. No more treating me as though I’m a mere disobedient mongrel.”

Zelda crawled towards him then, brushing her fingers softly over his jaw before she curled into him, hiding her face in the hollow of his throat.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I swear to you I’ll try. We – we’re both older now, more mature. Or so I hope.” She raised her face to see his as he wrapped his arms around her. “But will you help me? I will most probably slip up on occasion – you know I never meant any malice in my words. But I’ve been raised a Hylian princess. These standards and morals and rules have been embedded into my mind from such a young age, and I think I unconsciously judged you for breaking them.”

“I know they have.” He said quietly. “You know… this is the first time we’ve actually talked, properly about things since I left.”

Zelda sighed and nodded. “I know. When you came to see Auri, there were only ever such superficial greetings and goodbyes… we really shouldn’t have let it fester this long.”

“No.” Ganondorf stroked his fingers through her hair softly. “Aurami has suffered for that.”

Zelda let her eyes drift shut, contemplating things carefully. She didn’t think they were quite reconciled yet – Ganondorf needed to come back to the castle with her, and they needed to interact like they were married again and see if they could both work to get along better. She knew Aurami would be devastated if her papa left again… and Zelda wanted Ganondorf to stay. She pressed herself closer.

“She has. And… if things didn’t change in terms of our relationship, I could bear it so long as she had you around. She needs you.”

Ganondorf nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that, at least. I do recall you once hissing at me that I wasn’t needed and I had better go back to the desert before I hurt her any further.”

Zelda shook her head. “How about a deal – we won’t mention what we said to each other back then, okay?”

His shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Very well, Princess.”

His fingers kept stroking softly through her hair, and in that moment, she knew they both felt the same – like there had been an awakening – a new beginning.


	2. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf returns to Hyrule Castle.
> 
> Contains a NSFW scene!

Zelda was utterly wrecked. She let herself sag slightly against the saddle of her horse as she stood for a moment after dismounting, then straightened and turned around, patting her horse’s neck in goodbye as he was led towards his stable by a stable hand.

The moment she started walking towards the castle doors, she was surrounded by an utter hubbub of people, and no wonder; Malladus had been defeated at last, but it had been a long, bloody battle, and her troops were all exhausted. She herself had been personally present on the battlefield for four months, and she was just dying to see her baby again.

Poor little Aurami – she’d been without both parents for months.

At that thought, her mouth thinned, for it brought Ganondorf back to the forefront of her mind. Since they’d slept together almost two months ago during the middle of the fighting, they’d alternated between having almighty rows and tearing each other’s clothes off. Even now, with the war over, they weren’t exactly sure where things stood. Ganondorf had however _informed_ her, not asked, which was irritating, that once he’d seen his warriors home from the battlefront and left them in Nabooru’s capable hands, he’d be returning to the castle to see Aurami.

Zelda was… apprehensive, to say the least. They’d sort of discussed maybe trying their marriage over again, but she’d sacrifice her own happiness in a heartbeat if it meant she could prevent Auri’s heartbreak.

She singled out her chamberlain in the midst of the hubbub, and he came scooting over to bow before her.

“Your Majesty.”

“Chamberlain, I’m tired.” She began, raising her voice as some of the others clamouring to catch her attention began to quieten when they realised she was speaking. “I’ve barely slept in a proper bed in months, and I want to see my daughter. I don’t care what kind of meetings have been lined up; I want my schedule wiped clean for at least three days. Until then, I will not be bothered by anyone or anything. Chancellor Cole is more than capable of retaining Hyrule’s reins for another few days.”

The Chamberlain nodded and inclined his head. “As you wish, your Majesty.”

“Is the princess in the nursery?”

“I believe so, Ma’am. She was down earlier – she heard tell you were coming home soon and she’s been terribly excited, but Nanny Vesti took her back upstairs for lunch.”

“Thank you.” Zelda resolutely ignored the people calling her name behind her, and strode towards the stairs as the Chamberlain enlisted a few guards to hold the crowd at bay. She lifted her skirts and mounted the stairs fairly quickly despite her tiredness; she was so close to seeing her child again, and she was getting very impatient. Striding swiftly down the corridors, Zelda finally reached the door to the nursery, and pushed it open quietly.

There was no one in the day room, and Zelda was just crossing the room when another door opened and Nanny Vesti came out. Surprise and then pleasure crossed the older woman’s face as she curtsied deeply.

“Your Majesty.” She said warmly. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you, Nanny. I’m very glad to be back at last. Where’s Aurami?”

The nurse, an older, plump woman with stout hips and grey hair, pulled the door open wider. “She’s just getting dressed; she’s been down to the gardens for a walk, and got rather muddy.”

Zelda smiled and nodded as she passed the nursemaid, and sure enough, she saw her little daughter sitting on the end of her bed tugging her stockings on with her back to the door. Clearly, she hadn’t realised they had a visitor.

“Aurami!” Zelda called softly, and smiled as Auri gasped and twisted around, her face lighting up.

“Mama! _Mama!”_ She shrieked, throwing herself off the bed and rushing across the room.

Zelda dropped to her knees and held her arms wide as her little daughter ran straight into her embrace, and she hugged her tightly.

“Hello baby.” She whispered into Aurami’s long red hair. “How are you?”

“Good.” Aurami held her a little tighter. “I missed you, Mama.”

“I missed you too, darling. Have you had a good time?”

“Lonely, Mama.”

“Oh, baby. Well, I’m back now.”

“You don’t have to leave again?” Auri looked up at her with wide, tear filled golden eyes, and Zelda leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“No, pumpkin. I’m not leaving again.”

Auri just buried her face in Zelda’s throat again, and the Hylian Queen stood, turning to face Nanny Vesti while cradling her daughter in her arms.

“I’ll take Auri back to my chambers for the rest of the day, and dinner too. I’ll ring for you at bedtime.”

“Very good, your Majesty.” Nanny Vesti curtsied slightly, and then Zelda was on her way back to her rooms.

“Let’s have a special tea party, pumpkin.” Zelda whispered as she carried Auri down the hall. “Would you like that?”

Auri’s face lit up, and she nodded. “Yes Mama!”

Aurami didn’t want to sit on the other side of the tea tray when it came, so Zelda found herself sitting cross legged on the floor with her daughter in her lap as the small princess very carefully added a sugar cube to their teacups.

“Here Mama!”

Zelda much preferred her tea black with a slice of lemon, but as the five year old hadn’t yet learned to fathom how anyone could possibly drink black tea, she accepted the milky, sugary tea with a smile.

“Thank you darling.” Taking a sip, she smiled brighter. “It’s wonderful. _Perfectly_ made, as usual.”

Auri beamed and picked up her own cup, her gaze never leaving Zelda’s for a moment. “Nanny said there were monsters, and that’s why you were gone so long.” The little girl said after a long moment. “Was it scary, Mama?”

Zelda ruffled Auri’s bright scarlet hair. “A bit, yes. But, our soldiers were very brave, and we defeated Malladus.”

Aurami’s eyes grew wide. “Was _he_ scary?”

“Yes he was. But he’s gone now.”

“How?”

Zelda hesitated as she looked down at her daughter. It was Ganondorf who had landed the final blow, working in tandem with Link, but… ought she tell Auri that she’d seen her father?

“You remember Commander Link?” She said finally, choosing to omit Ganondorf’s name. When – _if_ – he arrived, he could tell Auri himself. “Well, he used his Hero training to defeat Malladus.”

That was simplifying things _a lot_ , but oh well. Auri was only five, after all. She didn’t need the full story.

Aurami nodded, totally satisfied by this explanation, and sipped happily at her tea.  
“Nanny said Link is very brave.”

“Oh, he certainly is.”

Zelda’s thoughts returned to Link, Ganondorf and herself fighting Malladus as one; Link’s bravery was born of Courage, but she rather suspected that Ganondorf’s was born of sheer lunacy. Knowing that unless Link turned on him with the master sword (the only thing that could truly harm him), the Gerudo King had been safe in the knowledge of his invulnerability and so had driven back large chunks of Malladus’ forces all on his own, in his demon boar form. Then during the final battle, he and Link had taken on Malladus mostly by themselves. Zelda had insisted on joining them, much to the general terror of her troops, and had worked on distraction duty, hitting Malladus with light arrow after light arrow, helping distract him and wear him down while Link and Ganondorf took care of the heavy hitting. In fact, the three of them made quite a decent team.

Auri looked a little sad then, her bottom lip trembling as she put her cup down. Then, she buried her face in Zelda’s chest. “I thought you weren’t coming home, Mama.” A tremulous little voice wailed, and Zelda’s brows drew together in regret at having inadvertently hurt her daughter, and she put down her tea to cuddle Aurami closer.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Zelda kissed Auri’s forehead and rocked her gently as the child sniffled. “I would never leave you. I just had to go away this one time, but I promise you it won’t happen again.”

“Okay, Mama.” Auri sounded a little doubtful, but knowing her feelings about her papa leaving, Zelda decided it would be best not to argue the point; all she could do was prove that she wouldn’t leave her daughter behind, by never doing it.

“The next time I have to leave the castle, you can come with me if you want.” She whispered, and Auri lifted her head, eyes shining.

“Really?”

“Really.” Zelda smiled at her daughter. “You can come with me whenever you like.”

Auri smiled happily and buried her head in her throat again, and Zelda cuddled her baby closer, delighting in the simple act of being able to hold her child once more.

They spent all afternoon holding their tea party (Aurami kept making new cups of tea and using up all the sugar), and then Zelda was ordered to brush and braid her hair. This was one of Aurami’s favourite things to do, and if she was being honest, Zelda loved it too. There was such a lovely sense of connection when her little girl sat down and Zelda brushed and braided her hair.

“Make it pretty, Mama!” Auri demanded, and Zelda laughed as she drew the brush through her daughter’s long red hair. Auri’s hair was down to her waist, and the vivid scarlet strands were extremely eye catching; it was very hard to lose the girl in a crowd. When Auri’s hair was smooth, she began to plait it down her back, and then fastened it with a cream ribbon.

“There.” She said in satisfaction. “All pretty.”

Aurami touched her braid and then twisted around, her smile revealing the gaps where she’d lost three of her baby teeth.

“Thank you Mama.” She said in her childish little voice, and then she held out her arms for a hug. Zelda grinned and pulled Auri in, holding her close for a moment.

“I’m so glad I’m home, baby.” She murmured in Aurami’s ear. “I missed you so much.”

“Me too, Mama.” Auri whispered, and they spent a content few minutes simply cuddled up to one another.

The time went quickly as Zelda listened to Auri fill her in on all she’d missed while she’d been gone, and all too soon dinner was over, and Nanny Vesti had knocked on the door, ready to take Aurami to bed.

The moment Auri laid eyes on her nursemaid, she ran across the room and collided with Zelda’s kneecaps, nearly knocking her over.

“No Mama!” The little girl cried. “Not yet.” When Zelda crouched down to see her properly, Auri’s bottom lip trembled. “I want to stay with you.” She said softly, and Zelda’s heart promptly broke.

“Would you like to sleep with me tonight?” She asked, and Aurami’s eyes lit up.

“Yes Mama! Please!”

Zelda grinned and stood up, Auri still clutching at her legs. “I think there’s been a change of plans.” She said to a smiling Nanny Vesti. “If you’ll bring Auri’s nightclothes up, you may have the rest of the night off.” These words were underscored by Aurami cheering loudly.

“Very good, your Majesty.” Replied Nanny Vesti, before the nursemaid bustled off to fetch Auri’s clothes.

Thrilled with the idea of spending the _whole night_ with her mother instead of going back to the nursery, Aurami became a bright, bubbly bundle of energy that bounced around for hours while Zelda’s lady’s maid dressed her for bed and removed the days clothing, and then Auri gave Zelda quite the job as she attempted to wrestle the giggly little girl into her nightclothes. Finally, however, the task had been completed and they were both ready for bed, Auri yawning loudly as Zelda carried her into her bedchamber.

She settled Auri down on her bed, the sheets already turned down by the maids, and then went and extinguished all the candles in her room save for the chamberstick in her hand. Setting this lone remaining candle on her nightstand, Zelda slipped beneath the covers, smiling as Aurami immediately snuggled up to her. She blew out the flame and then as the chamber was plunged into darkness, wrapped her arms around her daughter.

“Goodnight, Auri.” She whispered, and got a yawn in response.

“Night… night Mama.” Came the little girl’s sleepy response, and then while Aurami fell very quickly into her slumber, Zelda remained awake for some hours, thinking over the dilemma of Ganondorf. What was she to do about him? He’d somewhat insinuated (after she’d told him she’d like it) that he’d consider returning to the castle not just for a visit, but to try and start their marriage over again.

The single biggest problem Zelda foresaw with that was Aurami. No matter what she or Ganondorf wanted, she refused point blank to do anything that would hurt her daughter. But would it be worse for Auri to spend her whole life with a father that drifted in and out of the castle for occasional visits, or to live together as a family, but risk a similar breakdown of trust and respect as the first time their marriage had dissolved? It was all the more risky now, seeing as Auri was old enough to register tension between them whenever she saw them together in a room. But then again… Auri had only seen them together when they’d been fighting… and after sleeping with him and talking things through during the months spent battling Malladus, Zelda was certainly still arguing with him, but she no longer loathed the thought of being in his presence. Still uncertain and hating the fact that she was uncertain, Zelda sighed and finally closed her eyes, hoping she’d be in a clearer state of mind come morning.

 

* * *

 

 Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at a passing footman as he followed the chamberlain through the halls. He’d arrived at Hyrule castle not long ago, and was now being taken to wherever Zelda was – and then he’d see Auri again. It had been nearly a month since Malladus’s defeat, and as he’d explained to Zelda in his letters, he’d been unable to get away from the desert before that; there had been too much to do, what with repairing the destruction caused by the demon, burying the dead, and sorting out his warriors as they attempted to return home. Finally, he’d been able to leave things in Nabooru’s hands, and finally, he was able to see his wife and daughter again, though whether his wife was particularly happy about these events was still up for debate.

Zelda’s very short chamberlain paused outside a certain door and knocked briefly.

“Enter.” Called the voice of the woman he both wanted to see and avoid.

The chamberlain opened the door and went in a few paces, leaving Ganondorf standing in the hall.

“Your Majesty.” Ganondorf heard the small man say. “The Gerudo King has arrived.”

“Has he indeed?” Came Zelda’s voice. “Where is he now?”

“In the hallway, your Majesty.”

“Oh. Well, send him in.” Surprise coloured Zelda’s voice, and he grinned.

“Your Majesty.” The chamberlain bowed and exited the room, and then bowed while he held the door open. Ganondorf entered the chamber to find Zelda sitting on an elaborate scrolling chaise longue, some documents in her hands.

“Zelda.” He said in greeting, moving towards her, and she smiled and stood up.

“Ganondorf.” She held out her gloved hand and he kissed her knuckles briefly. “It’s good to see you.”

He grinned at that. “I’m glad you still think so.”  
  
A wry smile tugged at her lips. “I didn’t think it wise to start fighting yet, especially when you’ve not yet seen Aurami.”

“Where is she?” He asked simply, and Zelda started towards the door.

“Come with me. I’ll take you to her.”

Ganondorf fell into step beside Zelda as they walked up the corridor, and he took the moment to peer down at his wife. She looked different to how she had during the war; of course she did. She was wearing a corset and a silk gown again, her hair smooth and her skin flawless once more. There was no mud left over from the battlefield, though as he reflected, it _had_ been a month since the war ended.

“How’s Auri?” He asked, and she smiled.

“She’s fine. We had breakfast together this morning and she and Nanny went on a walk while I was in a meeting, and then we had lunch, and now she’s back in the nursery.” Zelda was quiet for a moment. “I haven’t told her anything about you; I wasn’t sure exactly when you’d be coming back, so I thought I’d better leave it to save getting her hopes up.”

Zelda didn’t say _for nothing,_ but he knew she was thinking it.

“That’s okay.” Ganondorf said quietly. “I’d most probably have done the same thing in your position.”

Zelda smiled at that. “I’m glad.”

“So what are we telling Auri?” He inquired. “Is this just a visit?”

“I’ve been thinking about it.” Zelda said quietly. “And really, it’s up to you. It’s your decision whether you stay or go.” She took a deep breath. “You would be… very welcome to stay. I am willing to try our marriage again if you want to, and… it would be so much more beneficial to Auri if we could make it work.” She took another deep breath. “However, if you decide to tell Auri that you’re staying, you _must_ commit to it. I won’t allow you to hurt her by breaking your promise.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Understood.”

Zelda peeked up at him then. “So… have you made a decision?” Her voice was very hesitant, and he grinned at her.

“I have.”

She looked like she’d like to throttle him when he didn’t elaborate. “And? What might that be?”

Ganondorf stopped walking and grabbed her hand, dropping his joking manner. “Zelda.” He said seriously. “Do you mean it? You’re willing to let me back into your life?”

She hesitated before she spoke. “Yes… and no. I want… I want us to be married again.” Zelda’s voice was very soft. “I – I loved you very much, and I’d like to have that again. But Auri takes priority over my own feelings. I will break my own heart before I let anyone break hers.” Her voice had had taken on a razor sharp edge, and he knew she was deadly serious.

“Then I will do my utmost not to break anyone’s heart.” He said quietly, kissing her palm. Zelda smiled at him.

“As long as we both try.”

With that sorted out, they continued along to the nursery, where Zelda told him to wait a moment while she got Auri’s nurse to go down to the servant’s hall. Ganondorf was practically twitching with anticipation of seeing his daughter again – it had now been a year since he’d last seen her.

Zelda entered the nursery to find Auri building a castle out of blocks while Nanny Vesti knitted in the corner. She greeted her daughter briefly, and then went over to the nurse to whisper in her ear.

“Aurami’s father is here.” Zelda murmured. “Would you leave us for now? I’ll ring for you when you’re needed again.”

Nanny Vesti nodded seriously, said goodbye to Auri, and left. When the nurse had gone, Zelda went and knelt next to her daughter.

“Look Mama! I’m building our castle!”

“Very nice, dearest.” Zelda reached out and grabbed Aurami’s hands so the girl would look at her. “Auri, we have a visitor.”

“Who?” The little girl questioned, and nerves swirled around in her stomach; what if this was a mistake.

“I’ll bring him in, shall I?”

Zelda didn’t really wait for a response, she simply crossed to the door and pulled it open, standing to the side to let Ganondorf in as he filled the doorway. She very clearly heard Auri gasp and drop a block, and smiled to herself as she shut the door.

She turned around to find Aurami simply sitting and staring at her father, as Ganondorf grinned and knelt down.

“Hello, Auri.” He said, but he got no response, and then surprisingly, tears began to well in the little girl’s eyes.

“Auri?” Zelda went and knelt next to the child. “Auri, what’s wro – _oh_!” At that moment, Aurami had leapt up and buried her face into her throat. She locked gazes with Ganondorf, who looked confused and rather disappointed, and then she tried to detach the child at her neck. “Auri.” She whispered. “Papa’s here. Don’t you want to see Papa?”

“No!” Came the defiant cry, and Zelda’s jaw dropped. She had not at all been prepared for that.

She met Ganondorf’s gaze again and noted the look of hurt in his eyes, and then she tried to pull back so she could see Aurami’s face. “Auri, what do you mean?” She asked, and Auri sniffled.

“No.” She said again, bottom lip trembling. “Papa always leaves. I don’t wanna see Papa if he’s gonna be mean and leave!”

“Oh, sweetie.” She sighed, stroking the little girl’s red hair. “You know… Papa has something to tell you.”

Auri sniffled hard. “What?”

“Why don’t you go over so he can tell you?”

Aurami debated this for a long moment, and then she nodded, wiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Okay.”

Zelda spent a moment wiping the rest of Auri’s tears away with her handkerchief, and then when Auri very shyly went towards her father, she stood up as well.

“I’ll give you a moment.” She said quietly, and made for the door, touching Ganondorf’s hand lightly as she went.

Ganondorf waited until Zelda had shut the door behind her before he spoke, and then when the click of the closing door had faded, he sat down properly and held out both hands towards his still fairly tearful daughter.

“Come here, Auri.” He said quietly, and she sniffled and ran forwards to climb into his lap.

“Papa!” She sobbed, little fingers clutching at his long hair, and Ganondorf closed his eyes; he’d been a fool to stay away this long. All those moments where he’d said he hadn’t had enough time… he should have _made_ time.

“Hey, Auri.” He murmured softly. “It’s alright.”

“I missed you Papa.” Came the little voice, and his breath caught. Poor little girl – no wonder Zelda had been so prickly about things. _She_ knew how much his absence was hurting their daughter. 

“I missed you too, _marilali_.”

She smiled at the pet name, but then turned sad again. “Where were you, Papa?”

“I’ve been very busy.” Ganondorf tried to tell the truth without sounding like he was coming up with excuses. “You know your Mama has a kingdom to run?”

Auri nodded. “Mama is Queen.”

“Right. Well, I have my own kingdom to run, and I was very busy for a while. Then, I was getting ready to come back and see you, but then Malladus attacked my people, so I couldn’t.” The worst part was that this was the truth. Malladus had robbed him of _five months_ with his daughter.

Aurami’s eyes were very wide. “Really?”

“Really.” He said firmly. “I would have been back ages ago, but your mama and I had to fight him.”

Her brows drew together then, and she looked confused. “Mama…? You were with Mama?”

So Zelda hadn’t told her. “I was. I didn’t see your mama very much though – we were too busy fighting.” There – that would help Zelda out of any sticky spots if Auri asked her about it. Then, Ganondorf decided to tell Aurami the big news.

“Auri, Auri.” He murmured, tugging her back a fraction. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I’m not leaving.”

Her pretty golden eyes grew comically large. “Not…?”

“Your mama and I are going to be married again, and I’m going to live here in the castle with you.”

Auri’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling. “Really Papa!?” She shrieked excitedly, and when he confirmed it, she threw herself forwards into a hug.

Ganondorf laughed as Auri started bouncing up and down, yelling excitedly, and then there came a knock at the door.

“Can I come in?” Came Zelda’s amused tone; she’d clearly heard all the yelling.

“You’re good.” Called Ganondorf, and the moment the door opened, Auri had scrambled off his lap and was booking it across the room, shrieking at the top of her lungs.

“Mama! Mama! _Mama!_ Guess what! _Guess what!”_ The little girl gibbered hysterically.

Zelda was laughing as she asked what, and Ganondorf chuckled as Auri began bouncing around excitedly.

“Papa’s not leaving, Mama!” The little girl was practically hysterical at this point. “Papa’s not leaving-” She broke away then, letting go of her mother’s skirts in favour of tearing across the room to jump back into his arms where he was still sitting on the floor. “I love you Papa.” She whispered into his neck, and Ganondorf felt utter relief; he realised very abruptly he’d been quite scared of making her hate him.

“I love you too, Auri.” He whispered back, gathering her closer, and then grinning up at Zelda, who was watching them both with a fond smile on her face.

Auri held out her hands to her mother, and Zelda came closer, and then Ganondorf grinned at them both as he grabbed Zelda’s hand and tugged her right off her feet and into his lap. She gave him an exasperated look, but didn’t resist as Auri clambered into her lap, her face shining. Aurami looked back and forth between both her parents, the look on her face deliriously happy, and then she crumpled into tears.

“Oh dear.” Zelda chuckled, pulling Auri into a hug, and Ganondorf made a confused sound and asked what was wrong, hoping for some sort of rational explanation. “Too many emotions in one day for one little girl, I think.” She explained with a smile as Auri sniffled into her throat. “She needs a rest so she can calm down.”

Ganondorf nodded. “That’s fair enough. It’s been a bit of a ride, this last hour.” He ran his finger’s through Auri’s red hair, and they both lapsed into silence as they waited for Aurami to stop crying. After a little while, she sat up, and Ganondorf grinned at her as Zelda cleaned up her face with a handkerchief. Then, Auri stood up, balancing herself on Zelda’s legs as she got a funny sort of determined look on her face and clutched at his beard with both hands.

“What are you doing, Auri?” He inquired, raising a brow. It wasn’t quite natural yet… the flow of conversation between himself and his daughter was a bit stilted and awkward, no doubt because of their separation, but Ganondorf was determined to fix things between them.

“I’m checking.” The little girl replied, a deep furrow between her brows as she concentrated on running her hands over his face.

“For what?” He asked with a grin as she stroked her little fingers over his eyebrows and then pushed his hair back.

“For different things.” She replied, and he raised his brow higher.

“Different things?”

Aurami nodded as she combed her finger’s through his beard. “I want to see what you’ve changed, Papa.”

A hollow feeling rammed into his gut. She was trying to figure out what had changed since he last saw her because it had been so long ago.

“Have you noticed anything?” Ganondorf asked, trying to make light of it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zelda looking sympathetic, and he _hated_ it.

Aurami smiled and shook her head. “No.” She said, sounding pleased. “You’re the same.”

“That’s good.” Ganondorf wasn’t sure where to take the conversation from there, and the awkwardness spiralled out around them until Zelda turned a bright smile on them both.

“How about some afternoon tea?” She said, brushing Auri’s hair back. “And you can show Papa the painting you made yesterday.”

Aurami started bouncing gleefully at that, scrambling down onto the floor so she could run into her bedchamber at top speed. Ganondorf helped Zelda to her feet, sharing a private chuckle with her, and then Auri came running back in holding a canvas. He leaned down and scooped the child into his arms so he could see the painting (it wasn’t exactly hard, seeing as she all but shoved it up his nose).

“Very nice.” He said, taking in the messily executed image of Lake Hylia. “I like the birds.”

Auri beamed as Zelda took the canvas from her and set it down on a nearby table.

“Come along.” Said the Hylian Queen. “We still have to inform the council of your return.”

“Ah, fun.” Ganondorf said with a grimace. “Those old coots won’t be happy.”

Zelda managed a slight laugh. “They certainly won’t.”

Ganondorf carried an animatedly chattering Auri down the hall to Zelda’s chambers, where they had afternoon tea in her breakfast parlour, and then after making countless promises to return to Auri in a few hours, the little girl was borne back to the nursery under the watchful eye of Nanny Vesti, and then he and Zelda walked in an uncomfortable silence down to the council chambers, where the councillors had been assembled, but they didn’t know what for.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zelda muttered out of the corner of her mouth. “There’s no going back.”

“I’m sure.” Ganondorf replied. “I’m doing this for Auri.”

She nodded, though he could have sworn she looked faintly disappointed.

The footmen pulled open the door and the councillors rose as one, and then the conversation ground to a halt as the old toffs inside caught sight of him. There was many an arched brow and suspicious glance, and Ganondorf smirked as irritatingly as he knew how as he walked beside Zelda to the two chairs at the head of the table.

“Your Majesties.” Said Chancellor Cole, and Ganondorf eyed him with a barely contained neutral expression; he’d never liked the man. “I must say.” Cole continued. “We wondered why his Majesty’s chair had made a sudden reappearance.”

Ganondorf looked down at Zelda as she smiled a tight smile.

“You know me, Chancellor.” She said with a very fake tone to her voice. “I like to be prepared.”

They sat down, and Ganondorf looked to Zelda – he _could_ have just casually blurted out the reason for his return for shock value, but as he was trying to be on somewhat good terms with Zelda again, he held his tongue as she straightened, looking very regal, and began.

Zelda didn’t approve of this. In fact, she didn’t approve _at all_. In her opinion, Ganondorf shouldn’t even have told Aurami of his return – it only raised the pedestal higher should he fall again. Still, it was his choice – if he wanted to thoroughly burn his bridges, he could.

“Let’s not beat around the bush, gentlemen.” She began clearly, drawing everyone’s attention. “This is no ordinary meeting, as I’m sure you have all concluded yourselves.” Zelda took a deep breath and looked to the imposing Gerudo next to her, who wore a very casual smirk. “His Majesty and I have come to an agreement. He will return to the castle and resume his duties as King-” She had to raise her voice here as her councillors began to voice their shock and indignation. “-to which I hope there will be a smooth transition.”

“Your Majesty.” Put forth minster Agano. “I do not wish to be rude in any way, but will this not create a great deal of scandal if you are to remarry? The people will talk.”

“I am perfectly aware that there will be a great deal of gossip, Minister.” Zelda replied with a tight smile. “However, there will be no remarrying of any kind.”

The shocked gasps that filled the room made Ganondorf snicker beside her, but Zelda ruthlessly controlled her expression.

“You misunderstand me, gentlemen. There is no need for us to be remarried… for the marriage was never annulled in the first place.”

There was silence as everyone looked at her in surprise… including Ganondorf.

“It wasn’t?” He asked blankly in _Ehenív_ , and Zelda refused to look at him.

“It wasn’t.” She replied in the same language.

“But… I signed the papers.”

“But I did not.”

Unwilling to discuss such matters in front of her privy councillors, despite the fact that they didn’t understand the Gerudo language, Zelda stood up.

“You know all that needs to be known at present.” She said shortly, then turned on her heel and stalked out the door. She could sense Ganondorf following her as she marched down the corridors, determined not to look at him, but then he caught her wrist and pinned her up against the wall.

“Zelda.” Ganondorf said seriously, a strange look on his face. “Why didn’t you sign the annulment papers? You were the one who presented them to _me_.”

Zelda turned her head sideways so she didn’t have to look at him, feeling very contrary. “Because… because once I got them back and I saw your signature, I… well, I always hoped we could sort things out. I hated the fact that you’d just signed them like that, without putting up an ounce of a fight.” She fixed him with a petulant look then. “But you’ve always been ridiculously hard headed.”

Ganondorf didn’t react – he simply stared down at her, his golden eyes intense. “So we are still married.”

She nodded. “We are.” Zelda’s gaze dipped to his mouth; he was going to kiss her, she just knew it. Her breathing sped up slightly as he leaned in closer, and then he left her cold when he pulled away without touching her.

“Come on.” He said gruffly. “Auri might implode if we make her wait much longer.”

Irritated at the fact he hadn’t kissed her, Zelda was silent as they walked down one corridor together, and then she reached out to touch his arm.

“You go on. I have some things to do, and Auri will be pleased to spend some time with you alone. I’ll come up later.” She said, avoiding his gaze. Ganondorf eyed her with a curious look, but then he nodded.

“If that’s what you wish. I’ll see you later.”

Zelda nodded quickly then turned and made her escape, cheeks flushed and palms sweaty; she hadn’t expected his return would make her feel like _this_.

 

* * *

 

Overall, Ganondorf had quite enjoyed his first day back at Hyrule castle. He’d spent hours playing with Auri (who was absolutely over the moon to have him there) and finally she’d been very unwillingly borne off to bed by her nursemaid due to the late hour. Before she’d gone, she’d made him swear he’d still be there in the morning.

Now, Ganondorf was sitting in the lavishly decorated King’s Bedchamber. He’d bathed and oiled his hair, and was generally ready for bed, but… he kind of wanted to go and talk to Zelda. Their interactions had started off all right; she’d been cheerful and pleasant and had seemed like she was happy for him to be there, but then she’d started changing. Now, she wouldn’t look him in the eye and she seemed dispirited enough that Aurami had actually noticed and asked her what was wrong during dinner. Zelda had laughed it off… but she still wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Yes, he’d just convinced himself to go and confront her. Standing up, Ganondorf didn’t bother with putting on a shirt; he merely made his way through to Zelda’s bedchamber clad only in trousers. Entering Zelda’s spacious and luxurious sitting room, he cast his gaze about for her and came up with nothing; she must be in her bedchamber already. Silently padding across the room, he parted the silk curtains that divided this room from the next and peered through. Zelda was sitting at her dressing table, talking quietly with a maid as the young woman brushed out his Queen’s long blonde hair.

Figuring that he wouldn’t get anywhere fast by just barging in while her maid was there, Ganondorf went back into the sitting room and lay down on the fur rug by the fire, letting the warmth of the blaze wash over him for over half an hour. He started to drift off slightly, but then had a rude awakening in the form of an acidic female voice.

“What are you doing in here?”

Sitting up, he found a frosty looking Zelda standing there with her arms folded, a distinctly unimpressed look on her face.

“I was waiting for your maid to leave before I came in. I want to talk to you.”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed. “What about?”

He stood up. “Did you get rid of _all_ the furniture that won’t break when I sit on it?”          

A thin smile played around the edges of her mouth. “Yes.”

He rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll stand. But will you tell me why you’re acting odd?”

Her smile faded. “I don’t know what you mean.” Zelda snapped coldly, spinning around and moving back into her bedchamber. Ganondorf followed, shoving the curtain out of the way with an irritable grumble, moving to grab her hands and hold her still.

“Yes you do.” He said firmly. “You were fine this morning, but now you’re acting like you don’t even want to look at me.”

Zelda proved him right by biting her lip and turning away.

He lifted a hand to her cheek, stroking her soft skin gently. “Zelda.” Ganondorf said softly. “What’s wrong?”

She bit her lip in that way she’d always done when she was upset about something and trying to hide it.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” She said slowly, resolutely refusing to meet his gaze. “I said I don’t want Auri to be hurt, and I mean that, but I don’t want you to hurt me either. If you left again…” Zelda trailed off, biting her bottom lip hard enough she drew blood.

“Zelda.” Ganondorf tugged her flush up against his form, holding her close. “I meant what I said when I intend to stay. I don’t want to fight with you if we can help it.”

“Because of Auri.” Her voice was flat.

“Because of both of you, damn it! I didn’t _want_ to argue with you, but you drove me up the bloody wall.”

Zelda took a deep breath and leaned into him properly, burying her face in his chest, and Ganondorf cast his gaze about for somewhere to sit – and then he spotted her bed. It was the same, massively constructed four-poster bed they’d had built when they married, so they could realistically sleep together. _Look’s like Zelda didn’t get rid of everything after all,_ he smirked to himself.

He scooped her into his arms, ignoring her startled and indignant noise, and carried her over to her bed.

“ _What_ are you doing-” She got out before he covered her mouth with his hand.

“I want to sit down and not break things.” He said irritably. “Stop questioning everything I do.”

Zelda frowned at him, but she held her tongue. “What do you want to talk about?” Her voice was guarded, her eyes shadowed.

Ganondorf took a moment to organise his thoughts. “I want… to know where our boundaries lie. We’re in this for Auri, but… we both have feelings for one another still, there’s no point in denying that.”  
  
Zelda looked down. “No.” She said quietly, so he continued.

“What I want to know is this. Is there any point in trying to fix our relationship? Would you like to try again?” Ganondorf looked her straight in the eye, reaching up to touch her cheek softly. “If you are willing to try… I would wish to call you wife again, in every sense of the word.”

Something flashed in her eyes, and then she looked quite upset.

“I want that too.” Zelda whispered. So much. But… I don’t know if I can trust you again.”

Ganondorf nodded as everything became clear to him. “You think that because I left once, I’ll leave again.” He said flatly, and Zelda nodded very slowly, hurt written across her features.

“I don’t _think_ you will… rather, I’m _terrified_ of it.” She raised her head, blue eyes bright with unshed tears. “I can’t go through that pain again. I _can’t_.”

Ganondorf tugged her into his arms then, and she melted into his embrace. “I want you to trust me.”

“I can’t.” She whispered. “Not yet.”

It hurt to hear it, and yet Ganondorf fully understood why she felt that way. “I understand.” He said heavily, and then contented himself to trace her features for a few long moments. “It’s… strange, this. I’ve spent years attempting to convince myself I hated you, and now-”

“Now we are married again.”

Zelda lay silent in his arms, and Ganondorf would have killed to know what she was thinking. The air became awkward and stifling, and he didn’t know if he should move or stay or even speak. At length, however, Zelda spoke and rescued him from his reflections.

“Do you know what this is?” She asked, eyes downcast.

“What?” He murmured.

“It – it is our wedding night over again.”

It took him a long moment, but he soon understood her meaning. Zelda meant that, much like when they were first married, he had taken her to their marriage bed. “I suppose it is, yes. Though our first was much more enjoyable.”

A smile twisted at her lips. “You aren’t wrong.”

Something very important rose to the forefront of his mind then. “Zelda.” Ganondorf paused, trying to think of the correct way to go about this. “You know what I said before, about boundaries?”

“Yes.” She replied, looking curiously at him.

“Well… I think we should talk about it tonight, and work out what we what. I don’t want to do anything that would… displease you.” In order to emphasise his words, Ganondorf trailed his hand down her form, resting for a moment on her upper thigh, before withdrawing. He gave her a significant look, and hoped she’d gotten the hint. A touch of pink lit her cheeks, and Zelda bit her lip.

“I think…” She began. “I think it would be wiser if we keep our distance.”

Disappointment flowed through him, but Ganondorf concealed his feelings. “May I ask why? We’ve already slept together while on the battlefield.”

Her flush deepened. “I know. You must realise that at that point we hadn’t properly reconciled. We hadn’t decided to try our marriage again. I just…” Zelda looked down. “I am trying to protect myself.” Her voice was no louder than a whisper. “If I give myself over to you entirely once more, and it didn’t work out… I don’t think I could stand it.”

“I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed.” Ganondorf said, stroking a finger across her cheek. “I’ve missed you… and everything that comes with being married to you.”

Zelda stared at her husband, and then she closed her eyes, trying to think things through. His very presence was muddling her up – she needed clarity of mind, but she wouldn’t get it while he touched her so very distractingly. And now… he talked so casually of taking her to bed.

All rational thought told her that she shouldn’t allow him into her bed. It would be disastrous, just like she’d said, if she let him past her barriers only for him to leave again. Another part of her was supremely angry that she’d let the _Demon King_ , of all men, get this far under her skin. She ought to have known _any_ kind of entanglement with him would only lead to heartbreak. Another part wanted nothing more than to feel his skin on hers.

“I have missed you too.” She whispered back. “Most dreadfully. But I can’t…”

“We can take it slowly.” Ganondorf murmured, and she nodded.

“Mhmm. For Auri’s sake, too.”

His face darkened. “I should never have stayed away so long. She’s changed…”

“No, you certainly shouldn’t.” Zelda turned to worm her face into his throat then, and Ganondorf was quiet for a long moment, and then he pressed a kiss to her hair. Her heart ached at the familiar, intimate touch, and then he kissed her again, repeating the move several more times until she lifted her head to gaze at him. When she did, Ganondorf pressed his lips softly to her forehead. Zelda reached up to brush her fingers over his cheek, to which he grinned.

“May I kiss you, Zelda?”

Zelda hesitated for a moment. “You may.” She breathed at last.

His grin widened slightly, and then he leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth. The kiss was slow and sweet – it was everything that she’d missed. The intimacy sank into her bones, and she threaded her hands into his hair as she kissed him back.

After long, slow minutes, Zelda found herself being rolled gently onto her back, and Ganondorf followed as he continued to kiss her soundly. Gradually, he left her mouth and began to trail his lips down her throat, nibbling at the junction of her shoulder softly before moving back up to nip the shell of her pointed ear gently.

“Good?”

Zelda blinked as she considered the whispered question, but as warmth burned through her belly, she slid her hands to his shoulders.

“Yes.” She breathed, and she felt Ganondorf smile against her skin before pointed teeth depressed gently into her flesh, causing prickles of pleasure to swirl through her body. His hand, which had previously been settled at her hips, began to softly stroke her skin through her nightgown as it moved upwards, cupping her breast almost gingerly.

Zelda thought about pushing him away then, but as he kissed her so sweetly, she found she didn’t want to. Sliding her fingers from his shoulders to the base of his neck, Zelda tangled her fingers into his fiery hair and gasped against his mouth as Ganondorf grinned against her and ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and when she opened for him he stole her breath until her head spun.

Zelda sat upright then, pushing Ganondorf back until he’d settled on his haunches before her, disappointment in his eyes.

“Zelda…?”

She ignored that in favour of reaching out both hands. Ganondorf looked at her for a long moment, then slid his hand into hers. She marvelled at the fact that he was here, back again, with her, and then she smiled softly at him.

Ganondorf’s lips curled into a grin in return, and Zelda trailed her hand up his arm until she’d slipped her fingers beneath his chin and beckoned him closer. She saw his grin widen in satisfaction before he leaned down to kiss her, and this time, he pulled her closer, lying her back down and settling between her legs.

Zelda watched, nails gripping the bedding beneath her, and Ganondorf smoothed his hands over her ankles, nudging the hem of her nightgown ever so higher.

He muttered something in _Ehenív_ too low for her to catch, and then he bent, nipping at her ankle with sharp teeth and making her jump and gasp. The sound of his deep chuckle washed over her, making something in her core tighten as she closed her eyes tightly.

Ganondorf took his sweet time, moving up her leg as slowly as possible, relishing the sounds Zelda made whenever he nipped at her skin. By now, he had her legs slung over his shoulders and her nightgown hitched up around her waist. She was soaking and exposed and utterly tempting, but he hadn’t touched her yet. Ganondorf nuzzled along her inner thigh, running his lips over the soft flesh, enjoying the way her shallow breathing hitched when he got close to her core, and then he nipped at her, dragging his tongue over the red marks in her flesh to soothe the sting. Zelda whimpered and rolled her hips in his grasp, and Ganondorf growled slightly in response.

Her fingers tugged at his hair as she whimpered his name, and Ganondorf grinned as he moved in to part her with an unhurried lick. The gasp Zelda let out fuelled his own fires, and he moved in closer to find her clit, moving with firm, slow strokes, until she writhed beneath him.

“Ganondorf…” She moaned. “Please…”

Need burned through his veins and his cock strained against his trousers, but Ganondorf forced himself to keep up the slow pace, teasing her until she arched beneath him, trying to force more pressure against her. He slid a finger into her, then another, pumping slowly until a ragged moan escaped her.

Zelda pulled on his hair, harder this time. “ _Please_ …”

Ganondorf chuckled slightly and tugged her closer, relishing the taste of her on his tongue. Deciding to end the torture, he crooked his fingers inside her, keeping pace with his tongue as he abandoned all teasing and instead focused on making her come.

Zelda let out a gasp, hips rolling in his grip as her thighs tightened around his head, her heels digging into his spine, but he kept going; he could feel her clenching around his fingers, knew the tremors that meant she was close.

When Zelda finally shattered beneath his tongue, her wail music to his ears, Ganondorf licked her firmly throughout her climax, until her legs trembled and she tried to push him away. He crawled up her body then, nipping at her through her nightgown until he reached her lips. Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him down, kissing him hard, but he slowed things down until the kiss was feather light. Ganondorf shifted slightly, nibbling along her jaw until he reached her ear.

“Good?”

“Mmm.” Zelda sighed. “Yes.”

“Do you want more?” Goddesses, he really hoped she said yes.

Zelda just smiled and kissed him in answer, and Ganondorf grinned against her mouth. He slid his hand up her leg, finding her centre and easily siding a finger inside to test her; Zelda moaned and spread her legs wider. Her hands trailed down his chest, fingers landing on the bulge in his trousers and stroking him enthusiastically through the fabric, before searching for the laces. Ganondorf caught her hands instead, pinning them up above her head and kissing her thoroughly. He held her in place as he unlaced his trousers, and then let her go long enough to slip her nightgown over her head as well as shuck his trousers, and then they were both naked.

Zelda was panting, her pretty blue eyes dark and heavy lidded as she reached for him, and Ganondorf growled against her mouth. He gripped her hips gently and she hooked her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together. He met her gaze as he entered her as agonisingly slowly as he was able, a deep groan escaping him as her warm wetness gripped him, a contrast to her high pitched whimper.

Ganondorf kept his motions slow, thrusting into her slowly and relishing her every noise as he left Zelda’s lips and drifted along her jaw to her ear, nipping her sharply.

“ _Ah_ -”

Zelda closed her eyes as the sensations in her core grew, melding through her form and threatening to block everything else out. Ganondorf was moving so slowly, so tenderly inside her, the feel of him so pleasurable and yet not enough. As if he’d read her mind, the thought had no sooner left her head than Ganondorf trailed a hand down her body, pinching her nipples along the way, and then he found her clit and began to rub her in firm, unrelenting circles that perfectly matched his pace.

As he nipped at her ear and scored his teeth down her throat, Zelda dug her nails into his shoulders and closed her eyes, unable to stop the noises welling in her throat if she’d tried. Ganondorf rubbed her clit relentlessly, causing her to clench around him as heat bloomed in her belly, pushing her higher towards her peak.

Zelda threw her head back, hips arching to meet his strokes as fire burned through her veins, and then as her release claimed her, she cried out, clenching rhythmically around him as lightening ran under her skin. Ganondorf groaned in her ear, his hot breath washing over her skin as his hips moved against hers erratically, and then he gave in to his own release, burying himself deep inside her as he filled her with his seed.

Zelda panted into his shoulder, legs still tightly locked around his waist, and when she felt some semblance of control return, she stiffly let her legs fall back down to the bed. Ganondorf pushed himself upright, touching her cheek softly.

“Are you all right?”

Zelda assessed herself. Yes, she was all right. She’d felt worried and nervous about what they were getting into, but… Ganondorf seemed earnest, and she couldn’t break Aurami’s heart.

“Mmm, I’m good.” She replied softly, stretching her pleasantly sore muscles before Ganondorf grinned and dragged her closer, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead. Really, he was being so affectionate it was making her feel all mushy inside. Zelda suspected he was doing it to ease her fears, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it. He scooped her into his arms then, carrying her through to her bathing chambers like he’d done many times before.

Ganondorf set her on her feet and Zelda, now feeling a tad self-conscious, hurried over to her washstand and set about tidying herself up, trying to ignore his gaze on her form. When they’d both been cleaned to an appropriate degree, Zelda went back to her bed, sliding beneath the sheets. Ganondorf hesitated, looking unsure of whether or not he should stay.

Zelda paused for a moment, then patted the space beside her. A relieved grin broke over his face as Ganondorf rapidly climbed into the bed, rolling onto his side to prop himself up on his elbow as he watched her.

Zelda worried the sheets between her fingers as she sat up against the headboard, and declined to look at him.

“Zelda.”

She glanced towards him when he said her name.

“Do you… regret this?”

Zelda started at that, and looked down at her fingers. “No. Not really.” Her voice lowered. “It’s more that… I am afraid I will regret it later.”

Ganondorf slid his hand into hers, and she gripped his fingers tightly. He didn’t tell her she was being foolish, which both reassured and terrified her.

“Come.” She said with a tight smile. “We should sleep. There will be much to do in the morning.”

Zelda made to lie down where she was, but Ganondorf reached out and pulled her into his form, wrapping her in his arms with his nose buried in her hair. She tensed for a moment, but then sighed softly and let herself relax into him, pressing her cheek against the warm flesh of his chest. She let a hand trail absently over his abdomen, moving up to graze a pierced nipple, before she tucked herself closer and closed her eyes.

“Goodnight, Zelda.” Ganondorf’s voice rumbled through his chest and into her form; Zelda smiled slightly against his skin. Maybe he really was back, and they really could start afresh.

“Goodnight, Ganondorf.” She murmured, and let herself be taken by sleep.

 

* * *

 

Zelda was awakened by the sound of running feet and a hysterically crying child, and shot up in bed to find Aurami tearing towards her.

“Auri! Whatever’s the matter-” She got out, reaching her hands towards her daughter just as Aurami reached the bed and began to clamber up the sides, tears pouring down her face.

“Papa’s gone!” The little girl wailed, her face crumpling. “He’s not in his room, Mama!”

Zelda gathered Aurami to her. “Don’t be silly, Auri, he’s right-” She turned to find the bed empty. Zelda trailed off in shock as a frigid chill swooped down to her bones; Ganondorf was gone. _No_. He couldn’t be gone. Frantically, she scanned her rooms, hoping against hope that he was somewhere – no, even his trousers were gone from the floor, her nightgown picked up and hung over the foot of the bed.

Cold shock set in, and Zelda attempted to ignore it as she comforted the hysterically crying child latched onto her neck, all the while attempting to prevent the sheet from slipping down around her naked form.

How could he… she had no doubt Auri would have scoured Ganondorf’s chambers from top to bottom when she hadn’t found him in his bed. Why was she even up at this hour? A glance at the clock told her it was barely five in the morning, so Auri must have snuck past Nanny Vesti in order to see her father. Yes – she was still wearing her nightclothes.

“Where’s Papa?” Aurami sobbed. “He said he’d stay, Mama.”

Zelda’s heart broke once again, and she drew Auri closer, cuddling her tightly. “I don’t know, sweetheart.” She whispered, clenching her eyes tightly against the tears that threatened to gather there.

At that moment, the door to her bathing chambers opened.

Zelda’s head snapped up and she stared in shock for a moment, for Ganondorf was staring back.

Ganondorf stared at the bed, where a very pale and shell-shocked Zelda stared at him over the top of their daughter’s head. Auri was crying hysterically while Zelda rocked her, and concern jolted him into action, striding across the room to reach the bed.

“Auri?” He demanded, reaching out to touch her vivid hair. “What’s wrong?”

Aurami’s head snapped up and she stared at him for a few long seconds. She surprised him when she shrieked “Papa!”, and launched herself at his throat.

“What in the name of-” Ganondorf hugged Auri as she cried and then reached out to touch Zelda’s hair as he got back into bed. “Zelda, what’s happening?”

Zelda still looked like she’d seen a ghost as her eyes roamed over his face, drinking him in. “She went to your rooms.” She said a little dully. “She thought you were gone.”

 _Shit_. Ganondorf pulled Aurami back slightly so he could see her face. “Auri, I’m still here.”

Auri nodded, tears still streaking her face even though she wore a blinding smile. “Papa.” She mumbled, swiping at her cheeks.

“Here, _marilali._ ” Ganondorf said, wiping Aurami’s tears with a corner of the sheet. “There’s no need to cry.”

“I thought you went away, Papa.” Auri’s tiny tremulous voice made him pause, and he brushed his fingers over her cheek and through her vibrant red hair.

“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t?” He attempted to inject a touch of humour into things, to help cheer her up. It somewhat worked; Auri looked a smidge more cheerful, but she still refused to let go of him. Ganondorf turned his attention to his wife.

“Zelda.” He murmured, then attempted to cheer her up. “Who knew merely going to relieve myself in the early hours of the morning would cause such drama?”

It worked; the corners of her mouth twitched up.

“It was a bit of a shock.” She admitted. “Just for a second… I thought you had left.”

Ganondorf found himself feeling irritated at her lack of trust, but squashed it; that would only make things much worse.

“I told you I wouldn’t.” He said shortly, and then immediately realised he’d been much _too_ short as ice flared in her eyes.

“Pardon me for having misgivings, considering what you put me through before-” Zelda snapped, before he cut her off, attempting to end the argument before it really got started.

“You’re right.” Ganondorf said simply. “I apologise; both for that, and for having to take a piss this morning, apparently.”

Zelda stared at him for a moment before she shook her head. “So crude.” She murmured. But she didn’t object when he took her hand and tugged her into his side.

Ganondorf was rather delighted to find that she was still naked – Auri must have woken her before she could put her nightgown back on – and wrapped his arm firmly around her as she laid her head on his chest.

Aurami was still sniffling, and so he turned his attention back to his daughter. “Dry your tears, Auri. There’s nothing to cry over; I’m still here.”

Auri nodded and wiped her nose. “Yes, Papa.”

Zelda sat up slightly then, making sure the sheet was concealing her modesty before she attended to her daughter, dropping a kiss on the small forehead before dabbing away the rest her tears.

“There now, Auri.” She murmured, her accent clear and cool. “You’re all right now.”

Auri nodded again. As the little girl looked from one parent to another, her smile began to grow, until she burrowed down exactly in between them, reaching first for Zelda’s hand, and then for his.

Zelda’s slight laugh rang out as he chuckled, and then Ganondorf pulled his small family closer.

“Can you play today, Papa?” Auri’s small and enthused voice asked, and Ganondorf grinned.

“Of course. All the games you wish; and I’ve presents for you too.”

“Presents!” Auri sat up to bounce on his chest. “Presents! Where? Where!?”

Ganondorf and Zelda both found themselves grinning at her.

“They’re in my trunks, _marilali.”_ He said, and Auri attempted to scramble off the bed.

“Let’s go Papa!” She demanded, but Zelda caught hold of her.

“Wait just a minute, young lady.”

Ganondorf grinned in anticipation of Zelda’s motherly sternness.

“You’re dressed in your nightgown still; you must go back to the nursery and find Nanny to dress you, and apologise for sneaking away like that.”

Auri’s face fell slightly. “I wanted to see Papa.” She said in a tiny voice, and Zelda couldn’t help her smile, or so it seemed.

“I know, darling, and there is nothing wrong with that.” Ganondorf watched as Zelda cuffed their daughter’s chin gently. “But you are a princess, you know, and princesses must be presentable. Go find Nanny Vesti and put on some clothes, and then you may spend the whole day with Papa, okay?”

Auri nodded enthusiastically. “Okie Mama!”

Ganondorf watched as their daughter scrambled out of the room at top speed to find her nanny, and when the gilt framed door slammed shut, making Zelda wince, he leaned over to whisper in his wife’s ear.

“So says the woman naked in front of all and sundry.” He purred, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Zelda turned an arched brow on him even as she subtly hitched her sheet higher. “Seeing as I am not the one responsible for my nudity, I can hardly be at fault.”

Ganondorf chuckled and slid out of bed, grabbing Zelda’s nightgown and handing it to her. He looked at the clock and raised a brow. “It’s damned early, but I doubt Auri’ll let either of us go back to sleep.”

Zelda slid her nightgown on and sighed. “Me neither.” A rather shy smile overtook her features as she tugged on the bell pull for her maid. “And will I see you later?”

Ganondorf grinned and pulled her into the last steps of a waltz, spinning her out and around so her nightgown flared out at her ankles. “You may depend upon it, my Lady.” He purred, bowing to kiss her hand, and as he did so Zelda smiled at him with such deep affection in her gaze Ganondorf knew he wanted nothing more than to make their marriage work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo I found I couldn't leave this AU alone (curse me and mine for constantly coming up with way too many plots to feasibly write at once) and though I know its been a million years, I hope everyone enjoyed the resolution to (what was supposed to be) the original oneshot.


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